RUMANIA'S 
SACRIFICE 

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RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 




Royal Family 
Crown Prince Crown Princess 
Ferdinand — Marie — now 

now king queen 

Carmen Sylva Kin^ 



Carl 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

HER PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 



BY 

GOGU NEGULESCO 

M 
SENATOB OF THE RUMANIAN PARLIAMENT 



TRANSLATED BY 

MRS. C. BE S. WAINRIGHT 



ILLUSTRATED WITH 
PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAPS 




NEW YORK 

THE CENTURY CO. 

1918 



2.0 






Copyright, 1918, by 
The Centxjey Co. 



Puhlishedt September, 1918 



SEP 30 1-9I8 



'©GLA503632 



'\\<i \ 



\ INTRODUCTION 

> 

Before Rumania entered the war she was 
almost unknown in the United States. The 
pohtical and commercial relations between the 
two countries were very slight; Rumania had 
no minister or consuls here. 

Her entry into the war on the twenty- 
seventh of August, 1916, followed in three 
months by the retreat of her armies before the 
enemy, the fall of the capital, and the occupa- 
tion of more than three parts of the country by 
the enemy, caused Rumania to become known, 
but in a rather poor way. Her enemies, with 
the intention of causing a feeling of antipathy 
towards her, worked persistently to present the 
Rumanian policy as unstable and one of con- 
quest, giving false information and leading to 
an unjust impression of the events taking place 
in Rumania. For example, the following re- 



INTRODUCTION 

ports were spread about : first, that in the Ru- 
manian Army there were German generals 
who during the struggles were passing with 
their troops into the camp of the enemy, while 
in reality not a Oerman has been officer in the 
Rumanian Army and not a unit of the Ruma- 
nian Army ever passed to the enemy; second, 
that the provision depots of the army were 
placed in Dobrudja — ^a Rumanian province 
near the Bulgarian frontier — so that the enemy 
might more easily capture it and leave the Ru- 
manian Army without food; this is absolutely 
false; third, that it had been decided that Ru- 
mania should attack the Bulgarians, but that 
at the last moment this plan was changed by 
an attack upon Austria-Hungary, while it is 
very well known that any war plans were made 
in agreement with the Allies, not to say im- 
posed by Russia; fourth, that the war plans 
were delivered to the enemy by Rumanian offi- 
cers. It has been proved that no Rumanian 
officer would have been capable of such trea- 

vi 



INTRODUCTION 

son and that, on the contrary, they all did 
their duty, but that it was the Russian Govern- 
ment which transmitted these plans to the 
enemy, throwing at the same time calumny 
upon her ally by false information that the Ru- 
manian soldier does not know how to fight, 
although in reality he is a warrior in the true 
sense of the word. Among many other things 
it was said that the political men were either 
incapable or were being bought. 

It is none the less true that all these false 
affirmations were taking root ; they were pene- 
trating public opinion little by little. There 
was no Rumanian officialdom over here to ex- 
plain things and to give the lie to these calum- 
nies, so that the name of Rumania was spoken 
with mistrust, if not antipathy. 

The formation of this unfortunate atmos- 
phere was all the easier for the enemies of 
Rumania because even European public opin- 
ion of the Allies was cold and sometimes severe 
towards Rumania. The EngHsh press asked, 

vii 



INTRODUCTION 

"Why did Rumania enter tHe war?" THe 
Russian press cried out that the Rumanian in- 
tervention was a burden for the AUies, and 
added all sorts of calumny. The Italian press 
was very severe in its criticism, and France, as- 
tonished, did not know what to believe. 

All this time Rumania was struggling 
desperately not only against numerous enemies 
who were encircHng her on all sides, but also 
in the endeavor to push aside the distrust of 
her allies. 

The events which took place in Russia in 
the beginning of 1917 threw some light on this 
drama: the czarist regime having been over- 
thrown, the representatives of the revolution 
published the documents proving completely 
that Rumania was betrayed by Russia; Eu- 
ropean public opinion received with satisfac- 
tion these proofs and convinced itself imme- 
diately that Russia had betrayed the cause of 
the Allies and that Rumania honestly did her 
duty. 

viii 



INTRODUCTION 

Especially when the Rumanian Army on the 
Sereth resisted for a year the drives of the 
enemy, fighting battles which have remained 
memorable and proving at every turn her loy- 
alty towards her allies, did the first sentiments 
of mistrust transform themselves into true feel- 
ings of admiration for the Rumanian Army 
and for Rumania. France first of all gave the 
signal. Military critics, political men, and 
the entire press hastened to bring out the in- 
justice done to Rumania, her loyalty, and the 
bravery of her army, which, isolated, without 
support, betrayed, in want of ammunition and 
sufficient food, "held for a long time by only 
her own means against more numerous adver- 
saries better armed than herself ; she astonished 
them by the vigor and duration of her resist- 
ance, she has shown herself worthy of her past 
and of her noble traditions of knightly brav- 
ery . . ." ^ 

In England and the neutral countries of Eu- 

1 General de La Croix "L' Effort de la Rumanie," Paris, 
Mean. 1917, p. 20. 

is 



INTRODUCTION 

rope there was formed the same favorable cur- 
rent of opinion towards Rumania; the whole 
world did her justice now, pitying her for not 
having been supported and for being crushed 
by her enemies and for the betrayal of her ally. 
But if in Europe it has been easy to put 
in evidence the loyalty and the sacrifice of Ru- 
mania, here in the United States the matter 
has been much more difficult. The first im- 
pression had taken root in public opinion, 
aided by the unfortunate events which pre- 
cipitated themselves in Rumania without a 
logical explanation, as well as by the organized 
persistency of her enemies in attacking and 
maligning her. Time was needed^ work was 
needed, especially organized and persistent 
work, in order to dissipate the first bad im- 
pressions. The extent of this great country, 
the lack of official action by the Rumanian 
Government, the lack of widespread propa- 
ganda, rendered very difficult the formation of 
favorable public opinion towards Rumania. 



INTRODUCTION 

A few scattered Rumanians did attempt to 
do some things for their country. My brother, 
Paul Negulescu, professor at the University 
of Bukharest, pubhshed during one year a 
review written in Enghsh and in Rumanian; 
Madame Dr. Stanculeanu, a charming and 
good Rumanian, held several lectures in 
American circles; the young and sympathetic, 
such as the Messrs. Borccea and loanidu, 
engineers, also held lectures; the charming 
Mme. Orghidan and her husband, the presi- 
dent of the Rumanian Commission to New 
York, worked incessantly to interest the 
American public in the sufferings of the Ru- 
manian people; I myself published several 
articles, thanks to the courtesy of the editor of 
the "New York Herald" and especially of Mr. 
Miller, one of the editors of the "New York 
Times"; Mme. Bazsesco, a great Rumanian 
artist, Mr. Spiresco, Dr. Andronescu, Petre 
Nastasesco, and many other Rumanians never 
ceased or wearied of trying to interest their ac- 

xi 



INTRODUCTION 

quaintances and friends in the question of our 
native country. But all these attempts kept 
their private character, timid and isolated, giv- 
ing, nevertheless, some slight appreciable re- 
sults. 

At last in January, 1918, a minister. Dr. 
Angelesco, arrived to represent Rumania in 
Washington. The Rumanians over here were 
full of hope that at last the moment had ar- 
rived for the true propaganda so long desired, 
and this hope was all the more justified as the 
Rumanian minister was received by President 
Wilson with edifying and encouraging words 
for Rumania. But after two months the min- 
ister departed for Europe before having really 
begun his work, and left the mission in charge 
of a secretary. There remains only the mili- 
tary attache of the legation, who is working 
for the formation of a committee with the aim 
of relieving the sufferings of so many Ruma- 
nian orphans, and has had considerable success 
in this direction. 

xii 



INTRODUCTION 

The gracious and distinguished Miss Wilson, 
daughter of the President, is directing this 
noble work, so we feel sure that the results will 
be successful. 

In cooperation with the Rumanians here 
several Americans with kindly hearts and great 
ability have interested themselves deeply in 
Rumania. The delightful Mrs. McVickar, 
Mrs. Fletcher, wife of the American ambassa- 
dor in Mexico, Mr. Trowbridge, Mr. T. T. 
Wells, Major Louis Livingston Seaman, H. 
E. John Riddle, former American ambassa- 
dor in Russia, and many others too numer- 
ous to mention, have greatly contributed 
in drawing the attention of the public to Ru- 
mania either by individual efforts or by ap- 
peals sent out in the name of the American- 
Rumanian Relief Committee. 

At the same time the American newspapers 
have shown themselves very greatly disposed 
in favor of Rumania. 

In the daily papers and in periodicals in- 
xiii 



INTRODUCTION 

teresting articles have appeared. Private ac- 
tivity, but above all, the help of the press, has 
succeeded in attracting at least in part tlie at- 
tention of the public to tlie fact that Ruma- 
nia has been betrayed by Russia and that her 
army did its full duty. As for myself I have 
become convinced of tliis change in public 
opinion. In the different American drawing 
rooms of New York and Chicago where I have 
had the honor of being received I have seen 
that the men and women — the charming 
American women who manifest tlieir individ- 
uahty in a maimer so delicate and gracious — 
gave mudi attention to the cause of Ruma- 
nia and through their different questions 
showed their desire to know her better. 

— What has been tlie motive which has de- 
termined the Rumanian Go vermnent to enter 
the war ? 

— "^Miat has been the cause of the defeat? 

' — A\Tiy did the Grovenmient enter into war 
xiv 



INTRODUCTION 

without the necessary armament and hospital 
supplies? 

— In what consists the treason of Russia? 

— Why was peace declared? Was it im- 
possible to resist any further? 

— What is the origin, the language, the cus- 
toms, the laws of Kumania, what constitutes 
her economic life? 

— Is it true that Rumania had made an 
alliance with Germany before the war? 

— Do you beheve that if the Allies had not 
failed in the Dardanelles the Bulgarians and 
the Turks would have given up their neutrality 
— and that in any case the position of Ruma- 
nia would have been better? 

These are some of the many questions that 
prove the desire of the Americans to imder- 
stand better, if possible, the condition of Ru- 
mania. 

To reply more completely to these questions 
I decided to write this book; but a difficulty 

XV 



INTRODUCTION 

arose. I am not very familiar with this beau- 
tiful American language. Then two charm- 
ing American ladies, Mrs. C. de S. Wain- 
wright and her daughter, offered to help me 
as a labor of love for suffering Rumania. 

In this book I have examined very closely the 
events which have taken place in Rumania. 
The work is far from being complete ; it is but 
a resume. My intention has been to draw the 
attention of the public to Rumania by a book 
easy to read. I hope in publishing this book 
to render a service to my native country. She 
must become known to the great democracy 
of the United States, known under her real 
aspect without exaggeration for good or ill, 
without hatred, without admiration for any one 
person. I have made this my aim. I hope 
that the American people may know that in 
Europe at the mouth of the Danube there ex- 
ists a people of Latin origin, vigorous, inhabit- 
ing a country rich by nature, which has a right 
to liberty and to her national unity; a people 

xvi 



INTRODUCTION 

with whom America can enter into economic 
relations profitable to both sides; a people in 
fact which looks with confidence towards this 
great democracy from which spring the great 
principles of democracy, the right to live for all 
nations, great or small, the right of self-gov- 
ernment. 

To facilitate the reading I have divided the book 
into three parts : the first, Rumania in war ; the sec- 
ond, Rumania after the war, as all Rumanians desire. 
In this second part I have shown the wealth of Ru- 
mania, the necessity of having this used to better 
advantage and the commercial relationships which 
the Americans can undertake with that country. 
For those who may be interested in this direction I 
have written the third part, which contains besides 
not only details of the economic life of Rumania, but 
which touches also on her origin, her political organ- 
ization, etc. There is also an appendix containing 
testimonials of the bravery of the Rumanian Army. 



xvu 



FOREWORD 

Poor Rumania! An outpost of Latin cul- 
ture set up in the East, surrounded by the 
Hun, the Turk, the Bulgar and the Russ, has 
been struck a coward's blow below the belt. 
Betrayed, with death and starvation in her 
midst, she had to di^op out from the too unequal 
struggle. Can any land blame her? 

Senator Negulesco's book explains how Ru- 
mania was betrayed after her hopeless, but 
valiant struggle and shows us how worthy she 
is of the moral and poHtical support of these 
United States. 

The Senator's excellent book shows what are 
Rumania's wrongs and how America can help 
to restore Rumania to prosperity and give 
again freedom and happiness to that corner of 
Europe where live our friends and former 
allies, so that again she may be given a chance 

xix 



FOREWORD 

to live and bring forth the full fruits of her 
Latin civilization in freedom. 

The many invasions of Rumania in the past, 
due to her position on the road from the East 
to the West, have tended to preserve her Latin 
tongue and race consciousness, because when 
the invaders came the Kumanians fled into the 
fastnesses of the mountains and the people of 
the different districts met and talked and the 
story of the race was recited and sung in the 
musical Latin tongue, so that all were brought 
to speak in the same way and to likewise main- 
tain the same traditions of the race. 

When you come to study the popular songs, 
tinged with the melancholy due to their suffer- 
ings, and with the light and atmosphere of their 
woods and mountains, of their great plains and 
rushing rivers, of the Danube and the Black 
Sea, you are bound to be fascinated. When 
you remember how they have to shiver in the 
winter from the cold and winds coming from 
the great Russian steppes and how they 

XX 



FOREWORD 

swelter in summer under an almost tropical sun 
you are bound to admire their grit and toil in 
having made their land into such a prosperous 
and rich agricultural country, as it was before 
it entered the war. As you see the spiritual 
faith with which the rites of the grand Eastern 
Orthodox Church are followed by the people 
your sympathy draws you to them. But to 
know them and see their generosity and their 
loyalty to their race, their traditions and their 
friends, to learn of their kind and gentle and 
brave qualities makes you love them. 

We Americans in our young republic are 
further drawn to them by the very contrast of 
their long past history with their ties with 
Rome, with Bysantium, with the Venetian Re- 
public and with Constantinople and its Phana- 
riote colony which gave Moldavia and Mol- 
tenia so many hospodars. It is a pleasant con- 
trast for us in our dull colored clothes to think 
of the old boyards in purple, scarlet, blue and 
green satins with pointed toed slippers of gold 

xxi 



FOREWORD 

and silver embroidery. Of the haiducs and 
brigands in the mountains — often a sort of 
Robin Hood helping the poor from the spoils 
taken from the Turkish tax gatherer — ^the tra- 
ditions and the tales fill us with delight. 

Their struggles for liberty, for union of the 
two great provinces and their modern demo- 
cratic constitution draw us to them. But un- 
fortunately we know too little of all this ! 

The book which Senator Negulesco puts be- 
fore us should and I trust will, excellent as it is, 
be but the beginning of a wide interest in Ru- 
mania, both past and present, which will not 
end without bringing the people of America to 
know all about Rumania, its commercial possi- 
bilities, its political needs, its people and the 
poetry and history of that land of plains and 
mountains, of rich traditions and future pros- 
perity. 

T. TiLESTON Wells, Litt. D. 



XXll 



CONTENTS 
PART I 

OHAPTBK „^ „ PAGE 

I The Eueopean Wae and Kumania . o 

II German and French Influence • . 16 

III Before the Declaration of War . 26 

IV The Declaration of War . . . . 34« 
V The Political and Military Conven- 
tions Between Rumania and Her 

Allies ^^ 

VI The Struggle ....... 64 

VII The Causes of the Rumanian Defeat 86 
VIII The Struggle with the Russians and 

THE German Ultimatum . . . 127 

IX Rumania and Peace 13*7 

X The Union of Bessarabia and Ruma- 
nia " • ^^^ 

XI The Causes that Determined Peace 160 

PART II 

XII Rumania After the War .... 177 
XIII Rumania of Yesterday .... 184) 
XIV The Rumanian Provinces Under For- 
eign Domination ^"7 

XV Different Estimates of the Ruma- 
nian Army ^^^ 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Royal family Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

Review of Rumanian troops 8 

Troops awaiting inspection by the French Gen- 
eral Berthelot . . 9 

A regiment of infantry in the Carpathians . . S2 
King Ferdinand reviewing his troops ... 33 
The Royal Family watching the Bishop blessing 

the troops from Transylvania .... 48 
The troops from Transylvania taking the oath 

of fidelity 49 

Rumanian soldiers building a bridge across the 

Danube 64 

King Ferdinand consulting his general staff 

about war plans 65 

A search-light at the front 80 

Soldiers descending into the trenches . . .81 
Rumanian soldiers at the front resting . . . 88 
King Ferdinand decorating soldiers for bravery 89 

Special cannon for the trenches 112 

The Queen and her children visit the front . .113 
Sentinel in first line trench . . . . . .128 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

iPAOINQ 
PAGE 

Cooking at the front • • ^^^ 

Austrian prisoners yo^ 

Prince Carl with a French machine gun . .153 
Queen Marie in peasant costume . . . .164* 
Artillery on the way to the front . . . .165 
Rumanians from Transylvania taken prisoners 

by their own countrymen 1 <^ 

A company of bicyclists ^ «^'' 

Sinai 

Peasants in national costume, and means of 

transportation ^^" 

Poiana Tapului, a village in the mountains . . 208 ' 
Returning after washing new linen in the river . 209 

A lake of oil at Baicioi ^^^ 

Oil wells in Campina ^^^ 

A business street in Bukharest . . . • 240 

A street in Braila ^^^ 

Political and ethnological map of Rumania and 
the regions inhabited by the Rumanians . . 248 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 
PART I 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

CHAPTER I 

THE EUROPEAN WAR AND 
RUMANIA 

THE CONVENTION OF 1883 

WHEN the great European War broke 
out in August, 1914, Rumania found 
herself, because of the political-military con- 
vention concluded in 1883, on the side of the 
Triple Alliance, composed of Germany, Aus- 
tria-Hungary, and Italy. 

Situated thus, between two powerful em- 
pires, Russia on the one side, Austria-Hungary 
on the other, it was to Rumania's interest to 

3 



BUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

ally herself with one of these two, for alone, 
she was always in danger of being crushed by 
one or the other of her neighbors. 

Russia was not satisfied to see this little coun- 
try of Kumania, Latin in origin, with a Hohen- 
zollern on her throne, isolated among the Slavic 
masses who wished to control the Orient ; Aus- 
tria-Hungary, on the other hand, aimed at the 
realization of her plans for the domination of 
the lower valley of the Danube, and at the same 
time looked upon Rumania as a point of at- 
traction and even support for all those Ruma- 
nians subject to the Crown of Hapsburg. To 
obtain the friendship of one of these neighbors, 
was a means for Rumania to obtain necessary 
peace and work out her development and her 
future. She had to choose between Austria 
and Russia. The Congress of Berlin of 1817 
had driven Rumania from the latter. The ob- 
ligation which this congress imposed upon her 
by forcing her to yield to the exigencies of 
Russia and to abandon Bessarabia to her, ren- 

4i 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

dered impossible a Russo-Rumanian friend- 
ship. "The antagonism toward Russia per- 
sisted and as Austria was the traditional rival 
of the Russian influence in the Balkans, it was 
Paris who showed to Bukharest the road which 
led to Vienna." ^ 

On the other hand Bismarck had done his 
very best to attract Rumania within the orbit 
of the Central powers. France, too much pre- 
occupied with her own rehabilitation after the 
events of 1870, was not interested in the destiny 
of Rumania ; Italy sought her own security by 
the side of Austria and Germany ; and England 
did not know Rumania. 

The Prime Minister of Rumania, T. Bra- 
tiano, the father of the first prime minister of 
1916, went to Berlin to see Bismarck and some- 
time afterwards Prince Charles of Rumania 
went to Gastein to see the Emperor of Austria, 
in order to sign the political-military agreement 

1 N. lorga, "Histoire des Relations entre la France et les 
Roumans," p. 248. 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

that would bind Rumania to the Triple Al- 
liance. This agreement had for its aim the 
maintenance of European peace, reciprocal de- 
fense against every foreign attack, and the 
economical development of the contracting 
parties. 

It had always been said that this alliance was 
the personal work of King Charles and that he 
did it of his own initiative and without con- 
sulting the men in pohtical power in his coun- 
try. This is an error and an injustice to the 
memory of a great king. Political circumj 
stances and the interest of Rumania imposed 
this action. 

The consequences of this agreement were 
many. "First, from that moment the na- 
tional claims fell to second place, for the offi- 
cial world declared many times, and in a solemn 
manner, that it renounced all endeavor to ob- 
tain there, limiting itself from time to time by 
claiming in a friendly manner, but without re- 
sult, better treatment for the people of the 

6 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

same race and of the same language living un- 
der the crown of St. Etienne." ^ 

Thus Rumania could no longer carry into 
effect any of her national claims. It is very 
true that in the schools thej^ never failed to ex- 
plain to the pupils that a great part of 
Rumania was under foreign domination, but 
they presented their deliverance as a dream to 
be realized later. 

The official world avoided making any allu- 
sion to the Rumanians beyond the Carpathians, 
in order to avoid diplomatic conflicts with an 
ally, and if, in opposition, a political party at- 
tacked the Government for showing weakness 
in its external policy with Austria-Hungary, 
it said nothing more, and the role changed with 
each party that came into power. 

Too small and between enemies that were too 
strong, Rumania could not prepare for na- 
tional unity, because any action whatsoever 
authorized by the officials immediately drew 

1 N. lorga, op. cit., p. 249. 

7 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the intervention of the cabinets of Vienna and 
Berlin. 

It is true that throughout the country the 
people had full liberty, guaranteed by the con- 
stitution, to publish newspapers and write re- 
views and books, to cultivate and to develop the 
sentiment of national unity, but this movement 
presented itself only in a slow and isolated 
way, without great influence among the masses 
of the people ; and even these intellectual mani- 
festations were prevented from passing the 
frontier into Austria-Himgary. 

THE MILITARY PREPARATION 

The military preparation was yet more diffi- 
cult. The convention of 1883 had foreseen, it 
is well understood, the conflict that was to take 
place between Russia and Bulgaria. Ruma- 
nian fortifications were built around Bukharest 
and on the line of Galatz, Namoloasa, and 
Tocsani, in order to prevent a possible Rus- 
sian invasion, but the passes of the Carpathians 

8 




^ 




m 



o 



fc 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

were never studied by the staff of the Ruma- 
nian Army and were not provided with forti- 
fications. 

Rumania was at liberty to purchase muni- 
tions wherever she pleased, but it was very nat- 
ural to address herself to the principal one of 
her allies. It was Germany who had furnished 
her with cannons, guns, and munitions, and it 
was Germany who had promised to procure for 
her all necessary armament and money in case 
of war. 

Political circumstances had prevented Ru- 
mania from inaugurating any industry by 
which she could supply the necessities of her 
army. She was obhged to buy everything 
from abroad, and so she was at the mercy 
of Germany. This was the situation before 
August, 1914. After this date it became still 
more delicate. In times of peace Rumania 
could concentrate 150,000 men, and in times 
of war she could easily mobilize from 350,000 
to 400,000 men, as was proved in the campaign 

9 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

against the Bulgarians; but in the two years 
from August, 1914, to August, 1916, the ef- 
fective force grew to between 700,000 and 800,- 
000 men. These needed ammunition, arma- 
ment, and cannons in particular. Therefore 
they also needed much money. As an ally of 
the Central powers, Rumania could rely for 
money and the indispensable material of war 
on Germany. But, as a neutral, to whom 
could she apply? The German government, 
for various reasons, had even prevented the de- 
livery of the orders made prior to the Ruma- 
nian declaration of neutrality in August, 1914. 
The Entente were not willing to help Rumania 
without proof that she would join their cause. 
To give up neutrahty required money and 
armament, but in order to obtain it, it was 
necessary to relinquish neutrality. Can any 
one conceive a more embarrassing situation? 

The Rumanian Government found the way 
to cut the Gordion knot: to declare war on 
Austria-Hungary with the hope that the Allies 

10 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

would send them money and the necessary am- 
munition. Then, in the anxious moments 
which followed after the declaration of war and 
while the Rumanian armies, struggling with 
bayonets against German cannon were about 
to move upon Austria-Hungary, military com- 
missions were sent to France, Italy, England, 
Russia, Japan, and the United States, in order 
to obtain supplies indispensable for the army 
from the various manufacturers already en- 
gaged in sending large orders to the Allies. 
To illustrate these facts, we will quote part of a 
speech made by General Rudeanu, chief of the 
military mission sent to Paris for the purpose 
of placing military orders. 

"There was the most thorough mutual con- 
fidence and therefore speaking a few days after 
the commencement of the Austro-German 
counter offensive a great French statesman 
asked me, 'With what did you enter into the 
war in the way of armament?' I could n't an- 
swer except to tell him that we had very little 

11 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

armament. Then he repeated the question, 
'But, tell me, then, with what did you com- 
mence the war?' I replied, we commenced it 
with the ever-increasing confidence which we 
had in France." ^ 

It is true that France was loyal. She made 
all possible sacrifices in order to help her ally, 
Rumania. But the difficulty was to ask her 
for munitions and materials of war at the very 
moment when she herself was in such need of 
them. The difficulty of transporting by the 
North Sea, where everything was watched by 
the German submarines or of transporting 
through Russia, where there was neither good- 
will, administration, nor railroads, makes one 
easily understand the utter lack of proper mili- 
tary preparation by Rumania. 

Scarcely by March, 1917, had there arrived a 
few great cannons and a part of the munitions 
ordered from France, also several French offi- 
cers. But by that time Rumania was already 
invaded ; the capital had fallen, and the Ruma- 

iLa Revue Hebdomadaire, No. 32, page 284. Discours du 
General Rudeanu, Directeur superieur de rarmament Rouman. 

12 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

nian troops had withdrawn to the Sereth, where 
they had been resisting the attacks of the enemy 
since December, 1916. The cannons arrived, 
as well as the brave French officers, and they, 
struggling bravely with their Rumanian com- 
rades, greatly aided the Rumanian Army in 
resisting the German drive. The arrival of 
these cannons and officers, which was called the 
Reorganization of the Rumanian Army, up- 
lifted the morale of that army, which had be- 
lieved itself abandoned by the rest of the Allies ; 
it also gave the French officers a chance to ap- 
preciate the bravery of the Rumanian soldiers. 
To meet the necessary expenses of the war 
Rumania had contracted a loan in Lrondon. 
In fact this loan had been one of the conditions 
of her entering the war, and it had been ac- 
cepted as such by the Allies. The Rumanians 
had also the reserve of the Rumanian National 
Bank, Based upon these funds, the Ruma- 
nian Govermnent gave orders to a commission 
to purchase quickly and everywhere the articles 

13 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

that were indispensable to the army. The mili- 
tary commission sent to the United States was 
well received by the American manufacturers, 
although the United States was not at that 
time one of the Allies. Orders were given, 
and part of them were even filled, but unfor- 
tunately everything stopped here. The Eng- 
lish Government was unwilling to send to 
America the money necessary to obtain the 
fulfilment and shipment of the orders. We 
do not know if in the agreement for the loan 
there was any clause stipulating that Rumania 
was to buy only from England, but we do 
not believe that such a clause could exist, be- 
cause at this very moment England was in 
the midst of transforming all her industries for 
her own military interests; she herself bought 
from American merchants mihtary necessities, 
and sending the Rumanian Military Commis- 
sion to the United States could otherwise have 
no raison d'etre. In Japan the same thing 
happened. At the same time the funds of the 

,14 



THE EUROPEAN WAR AND RUMANIA 

national bank, sent to Moscow in Russia, to as- 
sure security, had been seized by the Bolsheviki, 
so that Rumania found herself with no money, 
and her people, and even her army, had no 
food, no medical supplies, and no ammunition. 
They died of famine, of cold, of disease, and 
yet they were still obliged to fight. 



16 



CHAPTER II 

GERMAN AND FRENCH IN- 
FLUENCE 

ANOTHER veiy important consequence 
of the political-military convention of 
1883 was a great economical rapprochement 
between Rumania and Germany. From 1875 
to 1886 there had been a commercial agreement 
between Rumania and Austria-Hungary. At 
this period, about 1875, the means of com- 
munication in Rumania were so restricted that 
Austria-Hungary was able to monopolize her 
market. This agreement, which gave great 
advantages to Austria-Hungary for the place- 
ment of her industries, assured to Rumania the 
export of her cereals and her cattle. But this 
neighboring empire, which needed Rumanian 

16 



GERMAN AND FRENCH INFLUENCE 

cereals to transform into flour, did not have 
the same interest in Rumanian cattle. With a 
narrow policy, Austria-Hungary, alleging 
sanitary motives, began to prevent the intro- 
duction of cattle and ended by suppressing it 
entirely. This fact, and Austria-Hungary's 
wish to impose her authority on the navigation 
of the lower Danube, which belonged to the 
Rumanians, Bulgarians, and Serbs, greatly 
cooled the relations between Austria and Ru- 
mania, and in 1886 a custom-house war broke 
out between these two countries and lasted 
more than five years. In 1885, Rumanian im- 
ports were 293,000,000 lei, and of this Austria- 
Hungary sent merchandise to the value of 
134,000,000 lei; but during this tariff war the 
products of Austria-Hungary fell to 50,000,- 
000 lei. During this time Germany came into 
the Rumanian market under favorable con- 
ditions. At the same time Berlin offered to 
make good all the loans of her ally, Rumania. 
Germany studied well the wealth of Rumania 

17 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

and the qualities of her population, and pur- 
sued her policy of economical penetration into 
Rumania with great perseverance. Traveling 
salesmen representing the greatest German 
houses went everywhere throughout the coun- 
try, giving long-time credits to merchants, and 
taking great care to see that the orders for mer- 
chandise were properly executed and promptly 
shipped. The German business man always 
found in his own country banks that were 
ready to discount his drafts. German com- 
mercial policy was preoccupied not only with 
keeping up, but specially with increasing the 
number of its Rumanian customers. Several 
great German banks founded banks in Ru- 
mania, which, on the one hand, procured for 
landlords and farmers capital and machinery, 
of which they were in need, and on the other 
hand, founded industries for the manufacture 
of merchandise that could no longer be im- 
ported, owing to the protective tariff of 1891 
and 1893. 

18 



GERMAN AND FRENCH INFLUENCE 

The Austrians, frightened by their danger- 
ous competitors, tried to obtain in 1893 another 
agreement with Rumania, on the basis of the 
clause of "the most favored nation." They 
sought to regain their place in her market by 
trying to imitate the methods of the Germans, 
but they had no success whatever. In 1913 
Germany exported into Rumania 237,819,146 
lei worth, and Austria-Hungary 138,192,076 
lei worth of a total of 650,000,000 lei im- 
ports. 

This policy of Germany resulted in great 
economical development of Rumania, great 
profit for German merchandise, and great Ger- 
man influence on both the political and financial 
markets. 

Mr. Carp, former prime minister, lately 
brought out this fact in Parliament. "Do not 
forget that it is Germany who gave us the 
money necessary for our development ; France 
gave to us only with difficulty." Replying, 
Mr. Take Jonesco said very justly: 

19 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Could it be possible that we might find ourselves 
in an alliance which at a given moment could place 
us in a camp hostile to that of France, and that we 
should expect France to give us money? I find that 
the few hundred millions of Rumanian revenue taken 
up by France constitute a miracle, since it would 
have been natural if all our loans had been with those 
[the Germans] who were to draw profit from our 
economical and military development. It was 
natural, once having entered into an alliance, that 
Germany should aid us in completing our economical 
condition in order to complete our armament and to 
consolidate our finances.^ 

Rumania was in a period of transition. She 
needed foreign capital to develop her riches. 
If it is true that Germany gave Rumania all 
the money necessary for her development, it is 
no less true that the economical and political 
life of Rumania fell under the influence of Ger- 
many. "We were at the mercy of Germany 
for everything, for our arms and for our mu- 
nitions of war." ^ It is true that great benefits 
accrued to foreign capitalists; but at the same 

iXenopolj op. cit., p. 207. 

20 



QERMAN AND FRENCH INFLUENCE 

time the Rumanian workmen profited ; the state 
profited through the levying of different taxes, 
as well as the people who had at their disposal 
the production of a better market. The indus- 
tries financed with foreign capital were again 
a great advantage to Rumania as they stimu- 
lated Rumanian capital, which, timid at first, 
finally began to show itself in the line of indus- 
try in an encouraging manner. King Charles, 
by his very presence on the throne, contributed 
also to the encouragement of this German in- 
fluence. It is true that he never exercised any 
direct action along these lines, but during 
forty-eight years his attitude, which was both 
dignified and reserved as constitutional king 
and as a private citizen, drew to him the love 
and respect of the country, and these senti- 
ments reflected themselves upon the country of 
his birth. Also great pohtical personalities 
like the late D. Sturdza, chief of the liberal 
party and former prime minister, the late T. 
Majoresco, prime minister of the Conservative 

£1 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

party and one of the best-known leaders of the 
intellectual movement of Rumania, and Mr. 
Carp, former chief of the Conservative party 
and prime minister, manifested openly their ad- 
miration for Germany. 

FRENCH INFLUENCE 

Beside this German influence stood the 
French influence. In intellectual and social 
circles there was great sympathy for France. 
Since 1848 and even before that the wealthy 
families were in the habit of sending their sons 
to Paris to take up their studies and finish their 
education. Returning into their own country, 
these jioung men brought back from France 
not only their scientific knowledge, but also 
love and gratitude toward this hospitable land 
that had instilled in them all the great ideas of 
right and of liberty, and thej^^ tried to introduce 
into their own midst her ideals, and their ad- 
miration for France and the soil was so pro- 
pitious that the affection for this noble country 

^2 



GERMAN AND FRENCH INFLUENCE 

penetrated deeply into the hearts of the intel- 
lectual class, to the extent that they often re- 
placed the Rumanian language with the 
French language in the salons. 

The common origin of these two countries, 
the preponderant influence of French culture, 
the good political relations that have always 
existed between France and Rumania, the fact 
that France had always been the initiator of 
great social reforms, the bravery and loyalty 
of this country throughout all the events of its 
history, were the many reasons that augmented 
and even exaggerated the love of the Ruma- 
nians for all that was French or came from 
France. 

The greater part of the institutions and the 
laws of Rumania were copied from the French 
institutions and laws. The literature was ap- 
preciated; French manufactures were very 
fashionable, and French taste was followed. 

The Rumanians never forgot that it was 
through Napoleon III that they were able to 



RUIVIANIA'S SACRIFICE 

realize the union of their principahties, Wal- 
lachia and Moldavia, in order to form Ru- 
mania; nor did they forget that through the 
same support she founded her national dynasty. 
And when in 1912 and 1913 the conflict arose 
between Rumania and Bulgaria, and the 
French press, deceived by King Ferdinand of 
Bulgaria, took a hostile attitude towards Ru- 
mania, the hearts of the Rumanians, though 
profoundly wounded, beat none the less 
strongly in their love for France. This influ- 
ence is all the more interesting as France has 
never sought to draw near or to win the soul of 
Rumania. Except for Napoleon III and very 
few others, the political and industrial men 
of France never gave her much thought. It 
is true that some French capital was invested 
in the country, but in general it was placed un- 
der the protection of Austro-German enter- 
prises. 

Some years ago the Rumanian minister of 
finances, Mr. Marghiloman, now prime minis- 

m 



GERIVIAN AND FRENCH INFLUENCE 

ter, went to Paris to negotiate a loan, which 
they refused to consider. He immediately se- 
cured one in Germany, and the French bankers 
subscribed to this loan, which nevertheless kept 
its German character. In consequence, if 
France always held a great influence in the in- 
tellectual life of Rumania, and if she con- 
tributed without any volition to the formation 
of the taste of the upper classes, she had no in- 
fluence over the economical and political life. 



»5 



CHAPTER III 

BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF 
WAR 

EARLY in the month of August, 1914, 
King Charles convoked a crown council 
to determine the attitude of Rumania. 

This council consisted of members of the 
Government, presidents of the legislative body, 
and former prime ministers, chiefs of the polit- 
ical parties. These men had only the right 
of discussion without voting; they met simply 
to indicate their views to the king, who, never- 
theless, had the power to act independently. 
King Charles believed that Germany would be 
victorious, and he felt that it would not be a 
wise move to disregard the advantages of cre- 
ating for Rumania recognition and gratitude 

26 



BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

on the part of the victor, specially as Rumania 
was bound to the Triple Alliance by the con- 
vention of 1883. A sharp discussion took 
place among the members of the council. Mr. 
P. Carp said that Rumania should respect the 
convention of 1883 in order to gather the fruits 
of a policy practised for forty years. "We 
must fight," said Mr. Carp, "in order to pre- 
vent the success of Russia." He felt that the 
success of Russia was the beginning of the 
death of Rumania. According to his views, if 
Russia should take Constantinople, which was 
her great ambition, Rumania would be forever 
cut off from all means of export to the West. 
She would then be subjected to the economical 
policy of Russia, who would not fail on the very 
first occasion to give her a death blow, in order 
to satisfy her greedy desire for monopoly.^ 

1 Rumania had two outlets for the export of her wealth: 
by rail across Austria-Hungary and Germany, and by sea 
across the Black Sea and the Dardanelles. If the straits were 
closed to commercial navigation, her export and import re- 
mained at the mercy of the Hungarians, which meant sure 
ruin for the country. 

^7 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

After the speeches of Mr. Bratiano, chief of 
the Liberal party and prime minister, and Mr. 
Marghiloman, the chief of the Conservative 
party, upheld by Mr. N. Filipesco, one of the 
most noted members of the Consei^vative party, 
the majority of the council decided, neverthe- 
less, for neutrality. Mr. Take Jonesco, the 
leader of the conservative Democrats, declared 
himself for a permanent and absolute neutral- 
ity. It was believed that the question of neu- 
trality was imposed upon Rumania by the atti- 
tude of Count Tisza, the all-powerful states- 
man of Hungary, who had pushed the declara- 
tion of war, convinced that the propitious mo- 
ment had arrived to solve the problem of na- 
tionalities for the profit of the Hungarians ; and 
in other quarters they believed that as the con- 
vention of 1883 had a defensive character it 
had now become void since Germany and 
Austria-Hungary were at war and Italy was 
neutral. In the midst of these discussions in- 
formation was received from Rome of Italy's 

28 



BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

intention to remain neutral. This news greatly 
influenced the decision of the majority, as the 
situation of the two countries in relation to 
the Central powers was identical. 

King Charles had the authority under the 
constitution to call Mr. Carp into power and 
to grant him the dissolution of Parliament. 
But the king, an ardent pacifist, earnestly 
wished to avoid the ravages of war for his coun- 
try and was unwilling to do this. He ob- 
served loyally the state of neutrality until his 
death, October 10, 1914. 

THE ATTITUDE OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES 

Although neutrality was admitted as a fact, 
certain political circles began agitations for in- 
tervention on the side of the Entente. This 
movement, which at first was rather cautious, 
grew more and more determined, and when 
General Mackensen took command of the 
Austro-German armies in order to attack 
Serbia, the Conservative party under the late 

29 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Filipesco demanded the urgent intervention of 
Rumania in order to prevent the crushing of 
Serbia and the uniting of the German and Bul- 
garian armies. But Mr. Bratiano was not to 
be moved, specially as the cabinet of Vienna 
had given him all necessary assurances that 
Austria vs^^as not acting in a spirit of conquest, 
that she was aiming in no way towards terri- 
torial acquisitions. At the same time, the Cab- 
inets of Sophia and Belgrade asked the Cabinet 
of Bukharest whether the violation of the 
treaty of Bukharest would constitute a cause 
for war by Rumania. Mr. Bratiano replied 
that it would not. Serbia, squeezed between 
the great Germano-Austro-Bulgarian forces, 
was crushed, and direct communication be- 
tween the Germano-Austrian and the Bulgaro- 
Turkish armies was established across her terri- 
tory. This event had a great influence on the 
Rumanian policy. Some considered that 
henceforth there could no longer be any ques- 
tion of entering the war on the side of the Al- 

30 



BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

lies, because Germany had become too strong 
in this part of the East, having under her power 
all the strength of the Allies. Mr. Marghilo- 
man stood out more strongly than ever for neu- 
trality, but Mr. Filipesco upheld, on the con- 
trary, that Rumania should enter at any cost 
and as soon as possible on the side of the En- 
tente. On account of this difference of opin- 
ion there was a clash between these two men in 
the midst of the Conservative party that 
brought about a secession in May, 1915. The 
Conservative party divided itself into groups 
of political friends. 

At the same time Mr. Take Jonesco, the 
chief of the Democrats, renouncing his ideas 
of absolute and irrevocable neutralitj^^, turned 
completely about and sided with Mr. Filipesco. 

The chief of the Liberal party and the prime 
minister, Mr. Bratiano, held their own counsel, 
thereby mystifying their followers. 

A violent campaign had been undertaken by 
the press and in public meetings among 

31 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the interventionists and non-interventionists, 
among the pro- Allies and the pro-Germans. 
At the same time the intei^entionists eagerly- 
urged the king and the Government to give up 
their neutrality and to enter the war on the side 
favored by each of these groups. 

THE SECOND CROWN COUNCIL 

This merciless struggle continued until the 
twenty-seventh of August, 1916, when King 
Ferdinand convoked the second Council.^ On 
this occasion the chief of the Government, Mr. 
Bratiano, declared himself for immediate en- 
trance into war on the side of the Entente. 
Mr. Marghiloman did his best to prevent any 
action of his country, and Mr. Carp upheld, 
with the same force as in the first council, Ru- 
mania's entrance on the side of Germany. 

1 Mr. Stere, deputy and professor at the University of Jassy, 
a liberal socialist and personal friend of Mr. Bratiano, was 
publishing at this time a review which was greatly appreciated 
and in which he demonstrated the miserable state of affairs of 
Russia and the grave danger, should Rumania rally to the 
cause of Russia. 



i 




be 

:2 






BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

His profound conviction was that Rumania 
could be victorious and obtain the realization 
of her national ideal for regaining Bessarabia 
only through the help of Germany. He ended 
his discourse with these memorable words, 
"Majesty, if you approve the policy of the 
Government, you will lose both your country 
and your throne." 

The majority of the council voted for the 
entrance into war on the side of the Allies. 
His Majesty, King Ferdinand, considering 
that the majority of the council represented the 
^will of the country and wishing to retain his 
role of constitutional king, gave his approba- 
tion to this decision of the Government, to de- 
clare war against Austria-Hungary. > 



CHAPTER IV 
THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

ON the evening of August 27, 1916, the 
Rumanian Government, Mr. T. Bra- 
tiano presiding, without consulting parliament 
addressed the following declaration of war to 
Austria-Hungaria : 

The alliance concluded between Germany and 
Austria-Hungary and Italy had, according to the 
official declaration of the Government, a character 
which was essentially conservative and defensive. 
Its principal aim M^as to guarantee the Allied coun- 
tries against every attack from the outside and to 
consolidate the state of affairs created by former 
treaties. It was through the desire to place her poli- 
tics in accord with these peaceful tendencies that 
Rumania joined this alliance. 

Devoting herself to the work of the interior recon- 
struction and loyally resolved to maintain an ele- 

S4i 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

ment of order and equilibrium in the region of the 
lower Danube, Rumania never ceased to contribute to 
the maintenance of peace in the Balkans. The last 
Balkan Wars, by destroying the status quo, imposed 
a new line of conduct upon her. Her intervention 
hastened peace and re-established the balance of 
power; she contented herself with a rectification of 
her frontiers, which gave her a greater security 
against every aggression and repaired at the same 
time the injustice committed against her by the Con- 
gress of Berlin. But while pursuing this objective 
Rumania was deceived by the attitude of the Con- 
gress of Vienna, which was not what she had the right 
to expect. 

When actual war broke out, Rumania, as did Italy, 
refused to join in the declaration of war with Austria- 
Hungary, not having received from the Congress of 
Vienna the proper notification. In the Spring of 
1915 Italy declared war against Austria-Hungary, 
and the Triple Alliance existed no longer. The 
reasons that had prompted Rumania to join herself 
to this political system disappeared at the same time. 
In place of a group of states struggling with a com- 
mon effort to work for unity, in order to assure peace 
and the preservation of the state of affairs and of 
right created by the treaties, they found themselves 
in the presence of powers at war one against the 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

other, whose aim was to effect a complete transforma- 
tion in the former arrangement that had served as a 
basis to their treaty of alliance. 

These radical changes were evident proof for Ru- 
mania that the objective she pursued by joining her- 
self to the Triple Alliance could no longer be reached 
and that she had to direct her views and her efforts 
in other directions ; all the more so as the act under- 
taken by Austria-Hungary had assumed a character 
menacing to the essential interests of Rumania, as 
well as for her most legitimate national aspirations. 

In face of so radical a modification in the situation 
created between the Monarchy of Austria-Hungary 
and Rumania, the latter retook her liberty of action. 

The neutrality which the royal Government im- 
posed upon itself following the declaration of war, 
which conformed neither to its desires nor to its inter- 
ests, was adopted in virtue of assurances given by the 
imperial and royal Government that the monarchy, 
by declaring war on Serbia, was not acting in a spirit 
of conquest, and that she aimed in no manner at ter- 
ritorial acquisition. These assurances have not been 
realized. 

We face to-day a state of affairs which can give 
birth to great territorial transformation and to po- 
litical changes of such a nature as to constitute a 
grave menace for the future security of Rumania. 

36 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

The peaceful work that Rumania, faithful to the 
spirit of the Triple Alliance, struggled to accomplish, 
was rendered sterile by those very ones which should 
have upheld and defended it. 

By adhering in 1883 to the grouping of Central 
powers, Rumania, far from forgetting the bonds of 
blood that united the people of the kingdom to the 
Rumanian subjects of the Austro-Hungarian mon- 
archy, had seen in the relation of friendship an alli- 
ance which had established itself between the three 
great powers, a precious pledge for her interior tran- 
quillity as well as for the amelioration of the fate of 
the Rumanians of Austria-Hungary. In fact Ger- 
many and Italy, who had reconstituted their state 
upon the grounds of the principle of nationality, 
could not fail to recognize the legitimacy of the basis 
upon which rested their very existence. As for 
Austria-Hungary, she found in the friendly relations 
which were established between her and Rumania as- 
surances for her interior tranquillity as well as for 
those of our common frontiers. She knew the degree 
of discontent of the Rumanian population, which cast 
her back again upon us and threatened at every mo- 
ment to trouble the good relations existing between 
the two states. 

The hope that we conceived in this regard in our 
adhesion to the Triple Alliance has been deceived. 

31 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

During a period of more than thirty years the Ru- 
manians of the monarchy never saw reforms of a na- 
ture that would give them a semblance of satisfac- 
tion ; they have even been treated as an inferior race 
and condemned to undergo the oppression of a 
foreign element that constituted but a minority 
among the diverse nationalities composing the estate 
of Austria-Hungary. All the injustice to which our 
brothers have been subjected have maintained be- 
tween our country and the monarchy a continual state 
of animosity, which the Government of the kingdom 
succeeded in calming only at the price of great diffi- 
culties and numerous sacrifices. When war actually 
broke out there was born a hope that the Austro- 
Hungarian Government would be convinced at the last 
moment of the urgent necessity of putting an end 
to this injustice, for it formed a danger not only in 
our friendly relations, but equally in the normal inter- 
courses which should exist between neighboring states. 

Two years of war have demonstrated to Rumania 
that Austria-Hungary, hostile to every interior re- 
form capable of ameliorating the existence of the peo- 
ples which she governs, was as prompt to sacrifice 
them as she was incapable of defending them against 
every foreign attack. 

The war in which almost all of Europe participates 
brings out the gravest problems which affect the 

38 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

national development and the very existence of states ; 
Rumania, imbued with the desire to contribute to 
hasten the end of the conflict and under the imperative 
necessity of safeguarding her racial interests, sees 
herself under the necessity of entering the ranks of 
those who are better able to assure her national 
unity. 

For these reasons she considers herself from this 
moment in a state of war with Austria-Hungary. 

Bukharest, August 27, 1916, 9 o'Clock in the 
evening. 

Signed 

Em. Porumbaro, 
Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

According to this historical document the 
principal motives that determined the Govern- 
ment to take a step placing the very existence 
of the country in jeopardy were: 

First, the freedom of the Rumanians from 
the domination of Austria-Hungary. Ru- 
mania found herself under the imperative 
necessity of safeguarding her racial interests, 
and the Entente alone was able in a measure to 
assure her national unity. Secondly, the occu- 

39 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

pation of Serbia by the Austro-Hungarian and 
Bulgarian forces was of such a nature as to pro- 
duce in the Balkans great territorial transform- 
ations and political changes constituting a 
grave menace for the future security of Ru- 
mania. She was forced, therefore, to inter- 
vene in order to prevent these transformations 
and political changes. Thirdly, to hasten the 
end of the European conflict. 

Beyond these motives of high national policy 
were yet others of a character exalted, but more 
human, which, nevertheless, weighed heavily in 
the balance of the war. 

The Allies, and specially France, brought 
much weight upon the king, upon the prime 
minister, and upon all the noted men of the 
country, to force Rumania to give up her neu- 
trality. The political men and the press of the 
west of Europe were making appeals to all the 
sentiment of the Rumanians to urge them to 
join their cause; they became severe in their 
criticisms, blaming the attitude of a Latin 

40 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

country that remained indifferent in the face 
of a danger threatening the liberty of the world 
and the Latin race. 

Mr. Briand, then Prime Minister of France, 
played a prominent role in this matter, because 
the entrance of Rumania into war was an im- 
portant point in his program; and he made a 
great effort to come to an agreement with the 
Rumanian Government. "If some of these 
points had not been agreed upon, France 
would have run the risk of not being effica- 
ciously aided in her struggle against the ag- 
gressor." ^ 

At another sitting of the French Parlia- 
ment Mr. Pichon, minister of foreign affairs, 
after having stated that it was specially grati- 
fying to France that Rumania had intervened 
in the war, and that this was one more reason 
why she should feel herself pledged to that 
country, felt compelled to declare that he had 

1 Declaration made by Mr. Briand at the session of Parlia- 
ment on the eleventh of January, 1918, reproduced from "Rou- 
mania," Paris, January, 17, 1918. 

41 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

informed the Rumanian Government that "the 
Allies would maintain in a complete manner 
all pledges made it from the moment when it 
intervened." ^ 

Mr. Ernest Daudet, the well-known French 
writer, in an interesting article, "La Roumanie 
et la Guerre," said: 

He [King Charles] leaned rather towards Ger- 
many, and it is against this tendency that Mr. 
Camille Blondet, then representing France in Ru- 
mania, was forced to counteract. By the light of 
what transpired when the war broke out we must 
recognize that thanks to his efforts and with the 
collaboration of his Russian and English colleagues, 
he succeeded, if not with the king, at least with the 
political men of the Rumanian states.^ 

Influenced in great part by this exterior 
action, the interventionists' opposition com- 
menced a violent campaign against the Govern- 
ment, in order to force it to give up its neu- 
trality. 

1 From the newspaper "La Roumanie," Paris, No. I, 1918. 
2"Courrier des Etats Unis," June 19, 1917. 

4i2 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

Filipesco and Take Jonesco demanded the 
immediate intervention on the side of the Al- 
lies; every moment of delay was, according to 
them, a grave danger to the national questions. 
Preparations, the favorable moment, the 
danger to the very existence of the country, 
were no longer of any interest. We must 
enter the war at any price. 

History will probably reproach those directing the 
rationalistic movements for not having known how 
to lessen the impatience and moderate the enthusiasm 
raised for a war against Austria. They all followed 
the example of Nicholas Filipesco, whose ardent 
patriotism was unwilling to recognize obstacles and 
who, having all the qualities of a leader of a crowd, 
never possessed those of a skilled diplomat. In their 
political meetings that no hall in Bukharest was large 
enough to hold the interventionists demanded imme- 
diate mobilization, and their imposing manifestations 
sought to obtain from the Government entrance into 
the war without delay. Every advance of the Rus- 
sians served them as a pretext to demand the partici- 
pation of Rumania in the common action; according 
to them, the Government was losing every occasion 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

and would permit the Russians to arrive alone at 
Budapest. These impatient ones imagined that 
p€ace would come from one moment to the other and 
that Transylvania would remain under the Hun- 
garian yoke or would pass under that of another.^ 

And yet again: "To deserve truly the role of 
director of a nation, this party, Filipesco, Take 
Jonesco, should show more wisdom than im- 
patience." ^ This was the idea that many Ru- 
manians expressed during the year 1915, when 
they felt that the end of neutrality was de- 
manded too lightly. It is incontestable that 
these feverish and violent movements drew into 
the current the maj ority of those who form the 
public opinion of the country and have great 
influence over the king and the Government, 
and this influence was all the more dangerous 
in that it worked on sentimental ground. We 
were passing through a crisis of sentimentalism. 
Reasons on practical lines espoused by the par- 
tizans of Mr. Marghiloman had no longer any 

1 Serbesco, op. cit., p. 200, 
sijerbesco, op. cit., p, 203. 

44 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

chance to influence the Government. The 
pressure brought to bear from Berlin for the 
neutrality of Rumania was losing its in- 
fluence each day with Mr. Bratiano, and 
the Government commenced to lean visibly 
towards the interventionists and the side of 
the Entente. In order to understand better 
this policy of sentiment, which was so fatal to 
Rumania, we must add the provoking attitude 
of the Hungarian policy. Every Rumanian 
of Transylvania between the ages of sixteen 
and forty-five was sent in the first ranks 
against the Russians, the Hungarians forming 
only the reserve troops. A severe requisition 
was levied wholly on the Rumanians ; the chil- 
dren and the old people were in want of food, 
and the women were obliged to leave their 
homes and their children to work in the 
trenches or to follow the troops in order to wash 
the clothes of the Hungarian soldiers. The 
least protestation was punished with death. 
Many of the Rumanians were hanged for slight 

45 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

offenses. Terror was spread among the Ru- 
manians of Transylvania, and the Hungarians 
wanted to annihilate the race. All those who 
could escape passed into Rumania. More than 
50,000 men, women, and children, crossing at 
night the passes of the Carpathians and escap- 
ing the pursuit of Hungarian gendarmes, came 
into Rumania and related everywhere their suf- 
fering, begging for delivery. It was known in 
Bukharest that Berlin was disgusted with the 
pohcy of Vienna and Budapest, and that Ger- 
many was insisting upon obtaining the auton- 
omy of Transylvania and thus paralyzing 
every move of Rumania. Vienna and Buda- 
pest were not able to come to an understanding 
on this point. If this problem had been solved, 
Rumania would have been saved, and the con- 
flict of nationalities would have ended. This 
fact caused the illusion that Germany would 
never intervene in the Austro-Hungarian- 
Rumanian conflict, because it was a matter 
which concerned only relations between these 

46 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

two countries ; also because Germany, who had 
reconstituted her state upon the basis of the 
principle of nationalities, could not fail to rec- 
ognize the legality of the Rumanian act. It 
was believed also that Bulgaria could have no 
interest in attacking Rumania. Three days 
before Rumania's entrance into the war Rado- 
slavov. Prime Minister of Bulgaria, made the 
following declarations concerning the relations 
between the two countries: 

"Our relations with Rumania," he said, "are 
not only correct, loyal, and good; they are 
peaceful and sure. We desire absolutely on 
our side that Rumania should never be either 
provoked or irritated; we wish to remain at 
peace with her." ^ On the other hand, Russia 
boasted that she would punish Bulgaria, "her 
ungrateful child," as she bound herself to de- 
fend Rumania on the side of the Danube, to 
forestall an eventual attack of Bulgarians, and 
at the same time she insisted that Rumania 

1 Serbesco, op. cit., p. 270. 

.47 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

should come to a decision as quickly as possible. 
The Russian minister at Bukharest, aided by 
his English and French colleagues, warned the 
Government and the interventionist chiefs that 
if Russia should cross the Carpathians alone 
and should penetrate into Transylvania, Ru- 
mania would lose forever the opportunity to 
regain her rights. The successes of the Grand 
Duke Nicholas against the Austrians and the 
occupation of Bukowina were of such a nature 
as to uphold the statement of the Russian 
minister. The Rumanian Government was 
keeping its own counsel, but little by little its 
purpose showed itself. The concentration of 
troops on the Hungarian frontier and their ab- 
sence on the side of Russia, the sale of wheat to 
the English, some purchases for the army, how- 
ever discreetly made, in neutral markets or 
even from the Entente, refusal to sell benzin to 
the Germans, although they offered a price 
many times greater than the normal, were facts 
to convince the Germans that they could no 

48 




H 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

longer count on the neutrality of Rumania. 
Then they changed their political tactics. In 
Russia they had great influence in certain polit- 
ical circles. Thanks to the weakness of the 
czar, the Russian Government had fallen into 
the hands of warm partizans of Germany. In 
March, 1916, Stiiniier was named prime min- 
ister. The Russian Revolution, which took 
place later, brought all this to light. It proved 
that an understanding existed between Berlin 
and Stiirmer to divide Rumania as the price of 
peace which Russia had planned to make with 
Germany. From the moment that Stiirmer 
and Berlin came to an agreement great pres- 
sure was exerted at Bukharest to hasten Ru- 
mania's entrance into war, because it was the 
most favorable moment for Germany. The 
Rumanian Government and the Allied govern- 
ments did not understand the trickery of Stur- 
mer. The Rumanian minister at Petrograd, 
Mr. Diamandy, very proud of his position of 
trust granted through the friendship of Mr. 

49 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Bratiano, was only too pleased to cooperate in 
forming a closer relationship between his coun- 
try and the great Muscovite empire, and daz- 
zled by his surroundings, he never appreciated 
the realities. He sent reports to his prime 
minister to advise him to have full confidence 
in the army and the Russian policy and 
specially in the sincerity of Stiirmer. The late 
Mr. Filipesco, who was the soul of intervention- 
ism, was invited to Germany and to Russia to 
visit the front and to see for himself the respec- 
tive forces and their organization. He refused 
to go into Germany, but he went to Russia, 
whence he returned with a certificate of ability 
for Mr. Diamandy and with a sickness that sent 
him to his grave two months after the entrance 
of Rumania into war. These are the circum- 
stances that greatly influenced Prime Minister 
Bratiano, who dreamed, as does every good 
Rumanian, of the reahzation of a national ideal, 
but who thought at the same time that fate had 
reserved for him the favor of presiding at an 

50 



THE DECLARATION OF WAR 

act which would tell to the world and to future 
generations the grandeur of his political genius. 
They feared the danger throughout the country 
lest this ambition should lead him to a precipi- 
tate and dangerous move. Unfortunately for 
Rumania, this was the case. 



51 



CHAPTER V 

THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY 

CONVENTIONS BETWEEN RU- 
MANIA AND HER ALLIES 

T has been asked if Rumania had made any 
political-mihtary convention with her 
allies before entering the war. Such a con- 
vention, if it existed, was concluded in the very 
greatest secrecy, being known only to the king, 
the Government, and the chiefs of the interven- 
tionists. It will be published later in the 
"Green Book" of the Ministry of Foreign Af- 
fairs of Rumania, as well as by those of her 
allies; but for the moment nothing is known 
of it. It is true that after August, 1916, they 
spoke, or rather whispered, that such an agree- 
ment existed and that it assured to the Ru- 

52 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

manians every guarantee. In October, 1916, 
when the reverses of the policy of the Kuma- 
nian intervention were beginning to show them- 
selves, that is to say, when the Rumanian troops 
of Dobrudja and Transylvania were obhged to 
withdi-aw before the overpowering forces of the 
enemy; when Bukharest was bombarded day 
and night by enemy aeroplanes and Zeppelins, 
without possibihty of defense; when the sup- 
port of the Alhes did not show itself; when at 
last excited public opinion wished to know 
facts, they began to speak openly of the exist- 
ence of an agreement with the Allies, in order 
to explain the foresight of the Government and 
the want of sincerity of Russia. At this time 
there appeared in the "Gazette de Geneve" of 
Geneva an article written by Mr. N. Basilesco, 
deputy professor at the University of Bukha- 
rest, in which were laid down even the items of 
such a convention, and the fact that this article 
was immediately reproduced by "L'lndepend- 
ence Roumaine," the official newspaper of the 

53 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Government, specially of the brothers Bra- 
tiano, who at that moment disposed of the fate 
of the country, gave it an authentic character 
and caused the belief that an agreement existed 
imder the conditions exposed therein. The 
categorical statements of the author in that 
which concerned the clauses of the agreement 
and his estimate of the conduct of the Allies, 
which breathes of anxiety and reproach, and 
above all, the fact of the publication in the 
newspaper of the Government indicated that 
those who had assumed the responsibilities were 
not too ignorant of what this article contained. 
We will here reproduce this article exactly. 
It is too important both in fact and observa- 
tion to give a resume of it. 

In spite of the imperative motives which were forc- 
ing the Rumanians to pass the Carpathians, the 
Rumanian statesmen hesitated for a long time before 
dragging Rumania into this war where they felt 
that she was about to put her very existence in 
jeopardy. 

54 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

The example of Serbia was, in any case, fuU of 
warning. 

Yes, this small nation gave the opportune cause; 
but how involuntary she was in the great conflagra- 
tion! She had the opportunity of either avoiding 
the war or of terminating it before being crushed 
by an honorable peace with the Central powers. 
She did not do this. The help of the Allies was 
delayed; Serbia was crushed; even if reestablished 
in her former frontiers, it will be hard for her to 
rehabilitate herself. 

Greece, more prudent, avoided the catastrophe by 
standing aside; what might not have happened to 
Greece if she had yielded to the pressure of the Allies 
and had entered in this terrible furnace at the time 
of the attack on Serbia? The Austro-Germans, the 
Turks, the Bulgarians, would have swallowed her 
up ; by remaining neutral she has been able to render 
services to the Allies which she has already rendered 
and which she renders yet to-day, notably that of 
serving through her port of Saloniki for the bases 
of their armies in the East. 

As to the Bulgarians, they had been acquired by 
the Central powers long before the second Balkan 
Wars, which they had dared to undertake only after 
being encouraged and excited by them. Even for 
those who are least clear-sighted the decision of 

55 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Bulgaria was evident from the start ; it became mani- 
fest to all on the day that Germany consented to 
grant her a loan of 300,000,000 marks. 

If Rumania, in her turn, had committed the im- 
prudence of entering the war at the time of the at- 
tack upon Serbia, she would have met with the same 
fate as Serbia, for the Germans would have preferred, 
as they have since said openly, to attack Rumania 
rather than Serbia as the booty would have been 
richer, the prey more easily seized, and the military 
advantages incomparably superior. What oceans 
of ink were used by the best writers of the Allies to 
pursuade the Rumanian Government to enter the 
war! M. J. C. Bratiano only made the decision, 
however, when he was assured that the entrance of 
Rumania into the European War would be effectively 
opportune and that every condition to which he had 
subordinated his offensive would be fulfilled. 

What are these conditions? 

The first was that all the Allies, France, England, 
Russia, Italy, should guarantee to Rumania not only 
the new territorial acquisitions which she claimed, 
but the integrity of her territory. They wished 
to avoid the risks run in 1879 when after a glorious 
war Rumania saw herself bereft by her own ally of a 
part of her territory. 

56 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

The second condition asked for military assistance, 
which, the Allies promised her. 

We have known since the day that we had shed our 
blood on the plains of Bulgaria, at Plevna, at 
Grivitza, at Opanez, at Vigin, that the Bulgarians, 
whom we had called to life, would be our implacable 
enemies for the very reason that they owed us grati- 
tude. This belief was confirmed, in the Balkan Wars, 
during which the Bulgarians published openly their 
determination to take Dobrudja from us. It be- 
came an absolute certainty at the time of the con- 
ference at London and of that at Petrograd. After 
our intervention of 1913 and after the Treaty of 
Bukharest, which made of small Bulgaria a great and 
powerful state, no Rumanian, except, perhaps, some 
incurable Bulgarophile, but had the conviction that 
the Bulgarians would not fail to jump on our backs 
as soon as we should cross the Carpathians. They 
would act toward us as they did against the Serbs. 

It was in vain that I shouted in the ears of the 
greatest men in authority in Paris ; they were all 
firm in their belief in the word of Ferdinand of 
Coburg and in his protestations of friendship for 
France. 

This is why Rumania stipulated, as a second con- 
dition essential to her entrance into the war, that on 

67 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the one side a Russian army of several hundred tl: 
sand strong should pass the Danube, should a 
Dobrudja, and should take up arms against 
Germano-Turco-Bulgarians, who for a long time '. 
been massed on the Rumanian frontier, making 
this war a Russian war, and of this battle froE 
Russian front. 

On the other hand, the Army of Saloniki, wh 
they said, was more than 400,000 strong, shouL 
and this is the third condition — in its turn att 
the Turco-Bulgarian Army simultaneously with 
Rumanian offensive in the Carpathians. As to t^ 
concerns the Russian Army, landed in Dobrudja, 
are ignorant of its force; it is to be hoped tha 
will be strong enough to hold the enemy forces, 
though up to the present it may not have made 
weight felt. But what is the Army of Saloniki 
ing? That is the question at Bukharest. It 
mains virtually stationary. Why.? They give i 
pretext the uncertainty in the movement of the po 
of Greece. But we must say that this situa 
does not date from to-day. It existed at the "v 
moment when the Allies made their agreement ^ 
Rumania to set in motion this army, which was s 
posed to be so powerful that with no help it wc 
be sufficient to crush the Turco-Bulgarians. At 
cost it must be marched forward and that vigoroi 

5S 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

if we are not to find ourselves before irreparable dis- 
asters. 

The fourth condition stipulated and formally 
promised by the Allies, the one that brought them 
to Bukharest, the one that determined the Rumanian 
Government, was the general offensive, the realiza- 
tion of the famous formula of Mr. Briand of a con- 
certed action upon a united front in order to prevent 
the interior manoeuvers of a common enemy. We 
are still waiting for this general oft'ensive. 

But another question faces the Rumanians, against 
whom the Austro-Germans are concentrating to-day 
all their forces and all their hatred. 

Why does not the Grand Duke Nicholas transport 
his numerous troops in Europe, and why does he not 
open for himself the road to Constantinople through 
Dobrudja and Bulgaria? Is this not the key of 
the war? It is in the Balkans, it is by the taking of 
Constantinople, it is by the opening of the straits, 
that victory will be determined; it is here that the 
greatest efforts must be made. 

This way alone will permit the Allies to furnish 
arms and munitions to the Russo-Rumanian armies 
and to fulfil thus the fifth condition of the treaty of 
Rumania with the Allies. We do not share the fol- 
lowing opinion, which "The London Times" of Sep- 
tember 14 gives to the Rumanian, to leave or to 

59 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

weaken the Transylvanian front, in order to march 
against the Bulgarians ; a Balkan war is not the 
war of the Rumanians ; this they told the Allies be- 
fore their entrance into war; they repeated it again 
to-day; they demand that each should respect the 
given word, that the Allies should go into the Balkans 
to fight the Turco-Bulgaro-Germans, as they engaged 
to do. 

We must speak plainly: if the Allies should com- 
mit in regard to Rumania the same fault that they 
permitted in regard to Serbia ; if they leave the trans- 
Danubian Rumania without defense while the Ruma- 
nians shed their blood in Transylvania against the 
Austro-German armies preparing, cutting, and open- 
ing the road for the Russian Army, Germany will 
then be playing a sure game.^ 

The Bolsheviki have published lately the 
secret documents relating to the entrance of 
Rumania into the war. According to these 
documents it appears that the Rumanian Gov- 
ernment was not forced to enter into war by 
threats of the Central powers or of the Entente, 
as it attempts to make believe. 

1 "L'Independence Roumaine," Bukharest, October 19, 1916. 

60 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

According to the same documents it would 
seem that the Rumanian Government made 
no agreement of alliance, that it asked only 
that it should be guaranteed the possession of 
the provinces which it wishes to regain, and 
that the Entente should continue the war until 
Rumania should realize her pretentions. The 
representative of the Allies, and specially Rus- 
sia, would have refused this last condition 
until August, 1916. On the eighteenth of 
August, 1916, as these same documents ex- 
plain, the Allies signed the protocol which ad- 
mitted these demands of Rumania, and conse- 
quently, on the twenty-eighth of the same 
month she entered the war. 

These documents are of the greatest impor- 
tance. According to them, the Rumanian 
Government acted in a trifling manner almost 
criminal. It is very difficult, nevertheless, to 
admit that any government, even the most 
incapable one, could be satisfied to ask absurd 
conditions from others who are struggling at 

61 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the time under the same difficulties as them- 
selves, without assuring in the first place 
indispensable military cooperation. Mr. 
Pichon, the French minister of foreign af- 
fairs, declared that the Allies must maintain 
absolutely every agreement made with the 
Rumanian Government. What does this 
declaration refer to? To the agreement indi- 
cated by the publications of the Bolsheviki? 
That 's hardly probable, because this declara- 
tion of Mr. Pichon was made at a date — 
December, 1917, — when we had already the 
proof that Rumania could not conquer the 
countries with which she was at war. It must 
then be that this declaration refers to a poli- 
tical-military convention that guarantees to 
Rumania through military assistance on the 
part of the Allies not only the new territorial 
acquisitions which she claimed, but also the in- 
tegrity of her territory. 

The declarations of Mr. Pichon are perfectly 
in accordance with the agreement contained in 

62 



POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONVENTIONS 

the article reproduced from "L' Independence 
Roumaine," and we may admit that a military- 
political agreement was settled upon between 
the Allies and Rumania on the eve of her en- 
trance into war. This hypothesis is all the 
more plausible as it agrees with the attitude of 
all the representatives of the Allied countries 
who lately refused to recognize the validity of 
a concluded peace. 

The Rumanian Government has not hesi- 
tated to punish with the greatest severity all 
those who failed in their duty even through 
imprudence. How, then, can we admit that it 
committed on top of so many imprudences the 
gravest thoughtlessness, — ^worse than -the crime 
of treason, — that of allowing the country to 
slip into an abyss? We cannot believe it with- 
out seeing the "Green Book." 



63 



CHAPTER VI 
THE STRUGGLE 

DURING the night of August 27, 1916, 
the Rumanian Army received the or- 
der to cross the Carpathians. 

With admirable enthusiasm, passing eight- 
een mountain peaks, it penetrated deeply into 
the territory of Transylvania, repulsing every- 
where the advance forces of the Austro-Hun- 
garian Army. The Rumanian population 
eagerly welcomed the army of King Ferdinand, 
and the first impressions were favorable for 
the action of the Rumanian Government. 
The press of the Alhes greeted this move with 
enthusiasm and even spoke of the end of the 
World War, thanks to the intervention of 
Rumania. 

64i 




>< 



THE STRUGGLE 



But hardly had the first impression of the 
entrance into war come to pass, than the reahty 



HUN G>^R.V ^ 




began to make itseK felt in a most disquieting 
way. 

65 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

On September 1, 1916, Germany declared 
war on Rumania, and at the same time Bul- 
garia took a hostile attitude. 

The Rumanian Government, counting upon 
General Sarrail's offensive of Saloniki against 
the Bulgarians, according to the peaceful dec- 
laration made formally by the Bulgarian prime 
•minister in regard to Rumania and specially 
upon the assurances from Petrograd that Rus- 
sia would take, in any case, military measures 
to safeguard the frontier at the south of 
Rumania against all Bulgarian attacks, had 
left in Dobrudja only a few divisions. Thirty 
to forty thousand men, mostly of the mihtia, oc- 
cupied Turtukai, a small fortified city situated 
near the Bulgarian frontier, and there were 
also two to three divisions on the line of Kus- 
tendje. An army of one hundred and eighty 
thousand, composed of Germans, Bulgarians, 
and Turks, provided with heavy cannons and 
all the modern material of war, was advancing 
under the command of General Mackensen to- 
_ 66 



THE STRUGGLE 

wards Turtukai. For the time being this 
caused great stupefaction. For nine days this 
little army of Turtukai resisted heroically all 
attacks of a greatly superior adversary. For 
want of cannons, for want of strong artillery, 
for want of sufficient ammunition, the Ruma- 
nians were forced to attack with the bayonet, 
repulsing many times the advances of their 
adversary. All fought bravely, but the sec- 
ond regiment of Graniceri (Elite Infantry) 
specially distinguished themselves. In a single 
day this regiment made seventeen attacks with 
bayonets. Out of 3500 men there remained 
170; out of 50 officers only 7 survived. 
Colonel Sheinesco, the head of the regiment, 
with all his subordinate officers, was killed. 

The Bulgarian population of Turtukai con- 
ducted itself in a most atrocious manner to- 
wards the wounded Rumanians. They beat 
them unmercifully. And the women, when 
the wounded asked for water, threw boiling 
water on the unfortunate men. The remain- 

67 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

ing troops of Turtukai withdrew to the east. 

After this first shock general headquarters 
withdrew several divisions from the Transyl- 
vanian front in order to send them with all 
haste to Dobrudja to help the forces which 
were on the line of Kustendje and prevent the 
advance of Mackensen. The Premier of 
Rumania sent Stiirmer a very touching tele- 
gram, asking urgently for the help formerly 
agreed upon, pointing out that, otherwise, 
everything was lost. 

To this telegram Stiirmer replied imperti- 
nently, thus : 

Who is menacing Rumania from that side? We 
cannot shift our troops from one place to another! 
All we can do is to send you two or three divisions. 

After the fall of the stronghold of Turtukai 
two Russian divisions and one composed of 
Serbian volunteers arrived from Russia. 

I would not like to go any further without 
expressing my highest admiration of that Ser- 

68 



THE STRUGGLE 

bian division which has fought so bravely side 
by side with the Rumanian Army, resisting 
heroically a numerically superior foe in the 
many terrible attacks and battles in Dobrudja. 

A great battle took place at Dobrici ; it lasted 
days. Colonel Brosteano distinguished himself 
greatly, ordering all his men to sing the national 
hymn, he dashed into the attack at the head 
of his regiment; he was grievously wounded. 

The Rumanian troops, under the pressure 
of greater numbers and of perfected instru- 
ments of war, were obliged to withdraw to- 
wards Cusgun, where another sanguinary bat- 
tle took place. On the line of Cobadin the 
Rumanians also took the offensive, causing 
great losses in the enemy's lines. 

These struggles in Dobrudja lasted from 
the first days of September until the end of 
October, 1916, when the Rumanian troops were 
obliged to withdraw on the left bank of the 
Danube, blowing up the famous bridge on this 
river, because Mackensen, surprised by the re- 

69 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

sistance of the Rumanians, had planned that 
other armed forces should pass the Danube into 
Rumania at other points and should thus put 
the capital itself in danger. 

While the troops of Dobrudja were sacrific- 
ing themselves so heroically, the armies of 
Transylvania were also in very great danger. 
The Germans had withdrawn from the West 
front (Franco-English) and from the Russian 
front forty-two divisions (about 800,000 
men) composed of the very best troops, and 
had sent them under the command of General 
Falkenhayn to reinforce the Austro-Hunga- 
rian troops that were facing the Rumanian 
Army. 

This formidable force of over a million and 
a half men, composed of Germans, Aus- 
trians, and Hungarians, under the command 
of a general provided with heavy artillery, 
ample ammunition, and asphyxiating bombs, 
began to drive back the Rumanian army, which 
then had no more than from 400,000 to 450,000 

70 



THE STRUGGLE 



fighters, — for of a total of 800,000 men we 
must deduct the sanitary service, the adminis- 
trative service, the wounded, the dead, and the 
divisions sent into Dobrudja, — and was with- 



AUSTRIA- 
H UN G> 




out cannons, without sufficient munitions, in 
fact, without any of the modern instruments 
of war that the other armies had in such pro- 
fusion. 

The Rumanians were obliged to withdraw, 
71 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

yielding ground step by step, hoping to find 
shelter in the mountains in order to better re- 
sist, and to await the Russian reinforcements 
and the promised material of war. 

Having reached the passes of the Car- 
pathians, they showed extraordinary resist- 
ance; sanguinary struggles occurred all along 
the Carpathians, but specially in the valley 
of Zin, where memorable battles took place. 

Falkenhayn had decided to cross by the Vul- 
can Pass, which was defended by General 
Dragalina. After rigorous and repeated at- 
tacks, in which many of their best divisions 
were sacrificed, the Germans penetrated into 
Rumanian territory. The Rumanians resisted 
desperately, but the German cannons drove 
them back. 

General Dragalina died as a hero. His son, 
a young officer of artillery, died by the side of 
his father. The Rumanians stopped at the 
foot of the peak near to the little city of Tay- 
azin to fight again. In defense of their native 

7a 



THE STRUGGLE 

land the inhabitants of this city, under the 
command of a young girl, took up arms and 
ran to meet the enemy. The losses were great 
on both sides. 

The drive of the Germans on the side of the 
Carpathians never ceased for a moment. 
They were determined to overcome at any 
price the stubborn resistance of the Ruma- 
nians. 

This resistance lasted until the beginning of 
November, 1916, and during all this time the 
Rumanian Government pleaded everywhere 
for help, because it felt itself at the end of its 
strength. 

Unfortunately, General Sarrail at Saloniki 
did not move; the Russian offensive did not 
begin. On all other fronts absolute calm 
reigned; the help and the munitions did not 
arrive ; the Rumanians, attacked on two fronts, 
were left alone, facing forces that were too 
great. "It was the same with the offensive of 
Sarrail as with the general offensive. It 

73 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

seemed as though the allies of Rumania were 
seated on a balcony to watch how little 
Rumania was about to knock down the giant 
Germano-Austro-Bulgaro-Turk." ^ At the 



AUSTRIA — 
H U M G >^ I=i.^V 




BLACK 
SEA 



end of October, 1916, the army of General 
Mackensen began to cross the Danube at sev- 
eral points and penetrate Rumania. By this 
movement the situation of the Rumanian arm- 

1 "Journal of Geneva," February 15, 1918. 

74 



THE STRUGGLE 



ies of the north, which were defending the 
peaks of the Carpathians, became very critical. 
There was danger of their being caught be- 
tween two fires, that is to say, between the 



A U S T R. I >X —"""'"^ 
H U IS G A R."r 




,CONSTANZA 

BLACK 
SEA 



forces of Mackensen, who was advancing from 
the south, and the forces of Falkenhayn, who 
was pushing forward from the north. The 
Rumanian troops were therefore obhged to 
withdraw, to unite with the troops withdrawn 

75 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

also from Dobrudja, and to try to defend the 
capital. The enemy forces invaded Rumania 
by the north and by the south, and the two 
armies came together under the command of 
General Mackensen. 

The Rumanians withdrew to the left bank 
of the river Arjish, and there fought a great 
battle. During three days and three nights 
victory was disputed between the adversaries. 
At the most critical moment the commander 
of the Rumanian Army urged three Russian 
divisions, which were standing aside, to enter 
the struggle. They refused categorically. 
Their intervention might have given us the 
victory. Berlin was very anxious over the 
result of this great battle, and when the 
Rumanians were forced to withdraw before the 
greatly superior forces of the enemy, the Em- 
peror of Germany decorated Hindenburg and 
Mackensen for the great deeds accomplished 
on the field of battle of Rumania. 

The Rumanian troops withdrew, abandon- 
76 



THE STRUGGLE 

ing Bukharest, their capital, in order to save it 
from bombs, and it was occupied by the enemy 
on the second of December, 1916. The royal 
family, the Government, the diplomatic corps, 
and many citizens withdrew to Jassy, near the 
Russian frontier. Yet the Rumanians did not 
regard themselves as vanquished. Many other 
hard fights took place at Bocov, Buzen, Rim- 
nik and Fo^sani, and they afterwards withdrew 
on the line of the Sereth, where the front was 
narrower and their rear covered by the Rus- 
sian frontier. For more than a year the 
Rumanian Army opposed the German armies 
so vigorously that they were not able to ad- 
vance further. 

Here on this line of Sereth in the month of 
January, 1917, there at last arrived several 
Russian divisions, which completed the defense 
of the Rumanian front, and at the end of 
March, 1917, there also arrived some large 
guns, sent by France, which had for a long time 
been lost in Siberia through the connivance of 

77 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the Russian administration. Here in Sereth 
a series of battles took place; the Germans 
wished to pass at any cost, but their effort to 
break the line was useless, and the sacrifice in 




men was enormous on both sides. Although 
the Rumanian Army was very short of mod- 
ern materials of war, although she lacked even 
food, nevertheless, the resistance and heroism 
of this army reached the limits of what man 

78 



THE STRUGGLE 

can do. Each regiment wanted to distinguish 
itself, each soldier and each officer, to surpass 
in heroism. Even a young girl gave a bril- 
liant example of courage and bravery. She 
demonstrated that the woman has these quali- 
ties as highly developed as the best of soldiers 
and that she is able to face death with the same 
disdain as anj other hero. The Commander 
Teiusanu, former military attache of the Ru- 
manian legation at Washington, related the 
following facts in the "Rumanian Review of 
Chicago," No. 7, February, 1918. 

In this extraordinary war many acts of bravery 
have happened in all the countries involved. In 
Rumania, specially, the bravery of the soldiers and 
their definace of death have astonished the officers of 
the Allied armies attached to the Rumanian Army. 

In all the Allied armies women have distinguished 
themselves by their spirit of devotion and sacrifice, 
taking care of wounded and sick without fear of con- 
tracting contagious diseases from those affected. 

Seldom, very seldom, are women found who have 
soldiers' quahfications. In Rumania we have nowa- 
days a real " Jeanne d'Arc," a girl of only sixteen, 

79 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

but of extraordinary courage. She was so flamingly 
patriotic that she won the admiration of all. But 
let me tell jou the story of the facts as they occurred 
and were seen by myself in my capacity as com- 
mander of the company of this heroine, Miss Ecater- 
ina Theodoroiu, daughter of a captain of cavalry. 
She was a sophomore in one of the colleges in 
Bukharest. During the vacation of June, 1916, she 
came to Targu-Jiu where her family had a small 
farm near Schela. 

When the war broke out in Rumania in August, 
1916, she enlisted in the Boy Scout company to 
render service as a dresser of wounds and a stretcher- 
bearer behind the front. Despite the measures which 
had been taken to prohibit the Boy Scouts from ap- 
proaching the front line, Ecaterina did not leave 
her third brother, who was a corporal in the 8th 
Company of the 18th Regiment of Infantry, because 
she had lost two brothers (officers) in the battle of 
Turtukai a few days previously. Her mother was 
living at Schela in the territory which had been oc- 
cupied by the invaders in their first invasion, and 
her brothers had been killed at the front. Her 
flaming patriotism inspired her to go to fight in 
defense of her beloved country and to relieve the 
soul's grief that her enemies had caused. 

Several times she was sent away by the colonel, 

80 




< 



THE STRUGGLE 

who said that her place was not at the front. But 
the brave girl disguised herself as a volunteer soldier, 
putting on an overcoat, cap, knapsack (empty, how- 
ever), and bearing a gun. Thus equipped, I have 
seen her receiving instructions from her brother, 
paying close attention to the directions of firing, 
fixing bayonet, etc. Twenty successive days she 
fought, ate, and slept by the side of her only living 
brother, until he, too, was slain in battle. Afflicted 
beyond measure by this last blow, she decided to 
fight for her country until she, too, should die. 

Plunging into the fight, she was captured and 
taken to the prisoners' camp without it being known 
that she was a girl. Though disarmed, she was 
able to conceal a revolver, with which she killed the 
guard on her way to the enemy camp. Then she 
crawled cautiously through the undergrowth of 
familiar ground and, guided by the sounds of the 
machine-guns of Section 2 of my company, in which 
she was fighting, she succeeded in finding us again 
at three o'clock in the morning, and giving precise 
information about the enemy, who were preparing a 
surprise attack upon our unit. 

After twenty days of fighting it happened that a 
shell shattered both her legs, producing a double 
fracture of the right. I was in the same train with 
her. I was leaving Krajova and she was transported 

81 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

to the hospital. When she was brought to Bukhar- 
est, special care was given her by Queen Marie and 
princesses themselves. 

I have since been requested by His Majesty, King 
Ferdinand, to make a report in detail upon her, as 
I was the one who knew most about her. She was 
awarded "Virtutea certaseasca en aur pentru fapte 
de razhoi" [The Boy Scout Virtue in gold for heroic 
deeds], an order specially created for the bravery 
of the Boy Scouts of the Jiu, and she was also 
awarded the Militarj^ Virtue. 

Recovered from her fracture after four and a 
half months, she insisted on going back again to 
the front. It was allowed as an exception, and in 
the meantime she was advanced to the rank of suh 
locotenent [second lieutenant]. With what pride 
and with what skill she commanded her platoon! 
The men deified her; her incomparable bravery in- 
spired more courage in the soldiers while they were 
fighting. 

How great and what interminable ovations were 
given her in the theatre hall of Botoshani, when, 
being authorized myself to read the high degree 
of the decoration of the Boy Scout Theodoroiu, to 
the surprise of all who did not know her, there ap- 
peared a young suh locotenent with breeches, boots, 
and short hair, and campaign equipment. It is be- 

82 



THE STRUGGLE 

yond my power to describe here the manifestations 
of sympathy that were given her by her college mates, 
who had been refused permission to follow her ex- 
ample, as this great deed must remain unique. 

Taking part in the battle of "Marasesti," Miss 
Sub Locotenent was not seriously wounded, but she 
dii not want to quit her unit. She was proposed 
for advancement to the grade of locotenent [lieuten- 
ant], but the heroine has not had the happiness of 
wearing "galoanele de Locotenent,''^ because she was 
killed at the head of her company in one of their 
bayonet charges. 

In order that the beautiful example of the Jeanne 
d'Arc of Rumania may remain for posterity as a 
lesson and a true proof of the forefathers' virtues, 
her name and pictured face ought to be found in all 
the Rumanian schools and homes. 

In the month of July, 1917, the Rumanian 
troops, led by General Averesco, undertook a 
very vigorous offensive, and in two days they 
arrived at the frontier of Transylvania, taking 
many important positions on a depth of more 
than thirty kilometers (seventeen miles). 
This offensive might have driven the enemy out 

83 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

of the country. Unfortunately, the prime 
minister ordered the cessation of the offensive, 
because Petrograd had demanded it, and it was 
justified by the Russian failure in Gahcia. 
Several days later the Germans commenced a 
strong offensive, which lasted fifteen days and 
fifteen nights. 

The battle now entered the acute phase, the 
eighth of August, 1917. The Germans deter- 
mined upon a most violent offensive, but all 
the attacks were repulsed with frightful losses. 
German prisoners declared that they had never 
seen such a bitterly contested battle since Ver- 
dun. The Germans had twelve divisions on 
the Marasesti front (the line of Sereth) ; the 
Rumanians had only five. August fourteenth 
was a day of great carnage. The 89th Prus- 
sian Division was completely decimated. The 
efforts of the Germans were again repulsed. 
At the same time at other points on the same 
front great battles had taken place at Cas- 
sinu, Oituf, Okna and Panciu. 

84> 



THE STRUGGLE 

The deeds of heroism and courage performed 
by the Rimianian troops in these different 
fights surpass all power of imagination. They 
endured without hesitation the most terrible 
artillery bombardment. The attacks en masse 
made with extreme violence by the Bavarian 
and Prussian soldiers were broken by the re- 
sistance and bravery of the Rumanian soldiers, 
who, greatly inferior in number, struggled with 
incomparable endurance. 

We must cite the case of the heroic 32nd 
Regiment, whose officers and soldiers, abandon- 
ing their equipment, helmets, and jackets, 
rushed to the attack with such enthusiasm that 
they put the enemy to flight. It is a miracle 
that in such circumstances the Rumanian Army 
could hold during more than one year against 
the crushing blows of the enemj^. The begin- 
ning of the year 1918, found the Rumanian 
army at the end of its resources and its 
strength, but still courageous. 



85 



CHAPTER VII 

THE CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN 
DEFEAT 

THE defeat of the Rumanians was a sur- 
prise to the whole world. One could not 
explain how it was possible for a rich country, 
rich in substances and provisions, with an ex- 
cellent army, a situation to be envied, and spe- 
cially a brilliant future, — a country to which 
neutrality had brought unquestionable profits, 
and which was not forced to enter the war, — 
to cast itself into the fui'nace and in three 
months see itself invaded by the enemy, and 
shortly afterward reduced to famine and 
obliged to make a separate and disastrous 
peace. Distinguished political men, writers, 
and recognized critics have tried to explain 
this phenomenon. 

86 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

THE RUSSIAN TEEASON 

First of all we invoke the Russian treason. 
To-day it is known that the Russia of the 
czar and the Revolutionary Russia betrayed 
Rumania. But, the question is, why should 
Russia act in that way? What was her in- 
terest in betraying an ally ? How can one ex- 
plain the fact that Russia entered into war 
against Germany and afterward, by betraying 
Rumania, facilitated the operations of Ger- 
many against herself? In reality all these 
questions form a great problem which only 
the future can explain. 

For the moment one can only draw conclu- 
sions from facts known up to the present, in 
order to explain the reasons of a betrayal which 
exists as a sure and incontestable fact. 

In 1877, when Russia was obliged by cir- 
cumstances to ask immediate help of Rumania 
against Turkey, European public opinion 
highly praised the Rumanian Army, thanks to 

87 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

which the Russian Army was saved from dis- 
aster. This fact produced a bad impression 
at Petrograd. A sentiment of jealousy or 
even of hatred toward Rumania manifested it- 
self on the part of the colossus of the North. 
And at the Congress of Berlin in 1878 official 
Russia, instead of showing gratitude and a pro- 
tective spirit toward her small ally, dragged 
from her a part of her territory. Since then 
the relations between Russia and Rumania 
have been cool. Bulgaria speculated quite a 
little over the affection that Russia showed 
her, and tried to foster in Petrograd a senti- 
ment of mistrust in regard to Rumania. In 
1911 the czar wished to make a rapprochement 
with Rumania, and visited King Charles, there 
being at that time a question of a marriage be- 
tween one of the daughters of the czar and 
the Crown Prince of Rumania. The Bulgar- 
ians were furious, and the political Russian 
circles showed themselves unfavorable. 

In other ways Russia always saw in Ru- 
88 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

mania an obstacle to her policy of expansion 
towards Constantinople, because Rumania was 
the ally of the Central powers ; she proposed to 
prevent all passage of Russian armies through 
her territory towards Constantinople, and she 
never showed herself delighted to undergo any 
of the influence of Russian civilization. 

When the events of the great war began 
to develop, when the Allies saw themselves de- 
ceived by Bulgaria, who made them believe to 
the last moment that she would be on their 
side, the statesmen of the Allies felt that the 
only solution which would give any satisfac- 
tion for her defeat in the East was to win 
Rumania over. Starting with this idea, the 
cabinets of London and Paris began a lively 
action in this direction, although Russia held 
absolutely against this solution. The Rus- 
sians, who were announcing their arrival in 
Berlin in a very short time, were nervous at 
seeing that London and Paris insisted upon 
making an appeal to Rumania, specially as 

89 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

they considered this intervention a decisive 
blow for Austria-Hungary and the approach 
of the end of the war. The claims of exten- 
sion of Rumania, found just and equable by 
London and Paris, angered the political circles 
of Petrograd, which saw in this extension of 
the territory of their neighbor a policy con- 
trary to the interest of Russia. 

Even General Alexeief , who had in hand the 
direction of the Russian Army, was absolutely 
against the intervention of Rumania. But in 
the end the conditions fixed by the Rumanian 
Government had to be accepted by Russia, 
who, nevertheless, wanted to prove that she 
was right in her appreciation of the value of 
the Rumanian intervention, and under this 
prejudice, her own interest, and that of the 
Allies, fell upon the second plan. This policy 
was all the more easy, because since March, 
1916, Stiirmer, known as a Germanophile, had 
been named Prime Minister of Russia.^ 

1 1 was in Petrograd when that great man, Miljukoff, the 

90 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

From the first moment of the Rumanian in- 
tervention the attitude of the Russians mani- 
fested itself hostile to that country. There 
was no answer to all the Rumanian Govern- 
ment's entreaties for help from Russia. When 
the army of Dobrudja found itself crushed 
by the German-Bulgarian-Turkish forces, the 
large body of the Rumanian Army being in 

chief of the cadets, later minister of foreign aifairs of the 
Provisional Government, then member of the opposition, gave 
a violent discourse against the Government presided over by 
Sturmer, demonstrating that this Government wished to make 
a separate peace with Germany. 

Speaking of the manner in which Rumania had been helped, 
Mr. Miljukoff showed that the munitions and the armament 
were being transported under bad conditions; that Russia was 
sending very few troops, particularly cavalry, when artillery 
was most needed; that the manner in which they were acting 
could only be called "incapacity or treason." At this speech 
all the deputies of the opposition called out, "Surely there is 
treason!" Such was the atmosphere of the Russian political 
world at the beginning of November, 1916. 

I made a call on Mr. Miljukov, and left with high esteem 
and admiration for this great man. I thanked him as a Ru- 
manian for his beautiful defense of my country, for his ardent 
appeal that urgent help should be sent to Rumania. As I was 
leaving, Mr. Miljukoff handed me a copy of his speech, which, 
according to the order of the Government, has not been pub- 
lished in the official journal, I entrusted it to Mr. Cantaco- 
fino, Minister of the Rumanian Legation at Petrograd, to send 
to the Rumanian Government. "American-Rumanian Re- 
view," Chicago, August, 1917, Paul Negulescu. 

91 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Transylvania, the Russians responded to this 
desperate appeal of the Rumanian Government 
too late, and then only by sending two to three 
divisions, about 50,000 men, mostly cavalry. 
The army of 500,000 men, which the Russians 
were to send into Dobrudja to cover the south- 
ern front of Rumania, according to the agree- 
ment made among all the Allies, never came. 
When the Rumanian armies of Transylvania 
were driven by the Prussian forces of Falken- 
hayn and threatened by Mackensen, who in- 
vaded Rumania in the south, the Russians re- 
mained immovable to the appeals of Rumania 
and to the urgings of Paris and of London; 
when, in the great battle of Arjish the com- 
mander of the Rumanian Army asked the 
Russian forces, who were then very close to 
Bukharest, to enter into the fight, they ab- 
solutely refused; and in the end complete in- 
action reigTied even on the Russian front, thus 
leaving the Germans a free hand to strike 
their blow at Rumania. 

92 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

Facts speak for themselves; almost com- 
plete Russian inaction in the Carpathians and 
in Moldavia ; continual promises, never carried 
out, of an offensive by the army of Lechitsky; 
delays, then passive attitude of the Muscovite 
contingent brought into Moldavia. But there 
is still more. Throughout the course of the 
campaign the attitude of the war office and 
that of the Russian generals was in every re- 
spect most singular. When the Rumanians 
had hardly been attacked and were not yet 
subjected to any check, a great chief at Stafka 
said, looking at a map of Rumania, "This is 
where we will resist !" And he pointed to the 
line of Sereth. Many superior officers, among 
them General Bielaief, never ceased spreading 
hostile insinuations in regard to Rumania, and 
finally one of the highest Muscovite authori- 
ties, as he was being solicited to help the 
Rumanians during the battle of Bukharest, re- 
plied clearly, "Not one man and not one can- 
non!" Such speeches — and these are not the 

93 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

only ones that we could repeat — are sufficient 
to demonstrate the evident ill-will of the 
war office of Nicholas II. We must add 
to this the criminal indifference of a Sakharof 
who lost Dobrudja, while his staff gave 
a repugnant example of thoughtlessness and 
inconsistency and, above all, of military in- 
capacity. 

Numerous facts corroborate this opinion. 

The London "Times," January 29, 1918, in 
a letter of December 6, from its correspondent 
at Jassy, relates the following: 

During the last days of November, 1916, while at 
Jassy, I was present at a conversation between a 
Frenchman and a Russian general commanding a 
corps of the army ; the latter declared that he had 
received the order to direct his troops towards the 
Moldavian frontier, but after learning of the in- 
vasion of Wallachia, he asked authority at Stafka 
to march upon Bukharest, in order to take part in 
the imminent battle. Some hours afterwards, this 
astounded general declared, he received the order to 
direct himself, in spite of all, towards the Transyl- 

94< 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

vanlan frontier. Such facts could be enumerated ad 
libitum.^ 

General Alexeief had decided to do nothing 
for Rumania unless the line of battle should 
be at Sereth. In fact, when the Rumanian 
troops fell back on the line of Sereth after the 
invasion of Rumania at the south, there they 
found Russian forces already installed and 
fortified. 

Thus was Petrograd content to have exe- 
cuted its program ; that is to say, to have proved 
that the Rumanian intervention was not use- 
ful, that her cooperation had been nil, and that, 
therefore, she had no right to territorial acqui- 
sition or to any aggrandizement; but, if it is 
true that the Government of Petrograd has 
executed its occult program, it is none the less 
true that it has crushed under foot its engage- 
ment, that it has betrayed Rumania and the 
cause of the Allies. 

1 "Le Mystire Roumain et la Defection Russe," Charles 
Stienon, pp. 207-208. 

95 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The fact that the Russians fought seri- 
ously only on the line of the Sereth after the 
occupation of more than half of Rumania is evi- 
dence of their intention to stop there the ad- 
vance of the Germans. 

This rather suspicious fact has been ex- 
plained by different political men and by a 
secret convention, which was supposed to exist 
between Stiirmer and Berlin, to divide 
Rumania with the line of the Sereth as a fron- 
tier. They bring as a proof the fact that the 
German minister at Bukharest, on leaving, said 
to the secretary of the American embassy, Mr. 
Andrews, who accompanied him, "Here is the 
Sereth, the new Russian frontier." 

Events precipitated themselves in Russian. 
The czar's regime having been overthi'own, it 
could no longer follow its program in regard to 
Rumania. Kerensky had become the idol of 
the Russian people. The new regime gave 
publicity to secret acts in order to prove the 
former regime's treachery to Rumania; an at- 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

mosphere of confidence in Rumania began to 
make itself felt; the new commander of the 
Russian forces took severe measures to bring 
order in his army, which participated in sev- 
eral fights. 

Unfortunately this experience was very 
short. Lenine and Trotzky became masters 
of the situation. Their anarchist propaganda 
penetrated deeply into the ranks of the army 
and destroyed everything; disorder showed it- 
self everywhere. The chiefs of the army, the 
officers, were no longer obeyed; the soldiers 
commenced to abandon the front in order to 
devastate, to pillage the Rumanian popula- 
tion, already so sorely tried. The Russian 
armies scattered, giving place to ruin and to 
disaster. 

Trotzky, commissioner for foreign affairs, 
published the secret treaties between Russia 
and her allies. Among these documents there 
is found a report made by a former minister 
of war and pubhshed in the "Pravda," the 

97 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

newspaper of the Bolsheviki. This document 
shows clearly the mentality of the Russian 
pohtical circles in November, 1916, and it also 
shows the antipathy and the bad faith that fed 
the Russian statesmen in regard to Rumania. 

At the beginning of the European War Rumania 
had adopted officially a neutral attitude, which fluc- 
tuated very frequently and very noticeably, some- 
times on the one and sometimes on the other side, 
according to the state of military operations. This 
attitude was inspired by two principal motives : the 
desire not to arrive too late to share in the division 
of Austria, and to win as soon as possible at the 
expense of the belligerents. Our successes in Galicia 
and Butowina in 191^ and at the beginning of 1915, 
l:he capture of Lemberg and Przemysl, and the ap- 
pearance of our advance guard on the other side of 
the Carpathians, decided for us the question of in- 
tervention. At the end of May of the same year our 
retreat from Gahcia and Poland, the abandoning 
of Bukowina, took place. From this the state of 
mind of the Rumanian leaders modified itself, also, 
and the parleys, in view of the intervention of 
Rumania in the war, stopped. At the end of 1915 
and at the beginning of 1916 the poHcy of Rumania, 

98 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

after the crushing of Serbia^ and the intervention of 
Bulgaria, leaned very clearly to the side of our 
enemies. At this period the Rumanian Government 
concluded a series of very advantageous commercial 
agreements with Austria-Hungary and Germany. 
This circumstance forced the military, financial, and 
commercial departments to adopt a very prudent 
attitude in regard to the question of the importing 
from Russia into Rumania military equipment and 
different provisions, which might fall into the hands 
of our enemies. The offensive of General Brusilov in 
the spring and summer of 1916 turned the neutral- 
ity of Rumania again to the side of the powers of 
the Entente, and presented an opportunity for again 
taking up the interrupted parleys concerning in- 
tervention. It is to be noticed that from the begin- 
ning the chief of staff of the commander for military 
reasons considered the maintenance of Rumanian 
neutrality more advantageous for us than her ac- 
tive intervention in the war. Later, General Alexeief 
adopted the point of view of the Allies, which saw 
in the intervention of Rumania a decisive blow for 
Austria-Hungary and the beginning of the end of 
the war. In August, 1916', a military and political 
agreement was signed with Rumania, which assured 
her territorial acquisition (Bukowina and the whole 
of Transylvania) and which manifestly did not cor- 

9^ 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

respond to the measure of her participation in the 
military operations, for she had pledged herself only 
to declare war on Austria-Hungary and had limited 
herself to operations in Transylvania. The follow- 
ing events have demonstrated how much our allies 
deceived themselves in overestimating the Rumanian 
intervention. Under the influence of the unexpected 
catastrophe there arose in Rumania itself elements 
that were opposed to the continuation of the war 
and imposed upon themselves the task of concluding 
as soon as possible peace, even if it should be a 
separate peace. The misfortune that has struck 
Rumania is the natural consequence of the complete 
insufficiency of military preparation and the ambigu- 
ous policy of Bratiano. The easy victories of 1913 
and Rumania's diplomatic success after the Balkan 
War contributed, in great part, to give to the people 
and to the Government an exaggerated idea of their 
importance. In political and military points of view 
the Rumanians have exaggerated their value and 
feel now a bitter deception. From the point of view 
of Russian interests, the following considerations 
should guide us in the appreciation of the actual 
situation in Rumania. 

If matters had developed In such a fashion that 
the political and military agreement of 1916 with 
Rumania might have been completely realized, a very 

lOQ 



CAUSES OF THE RIBIANIAN DEFEAT 

strong state might have been created in the Balkans, 
composed of Moldavia, Wallachia, Dobrudja (actual 
Rumania), of Transylvania, Banat, and Bukowina 
(acquisitions in virtue of the Treaty of 1916), with 
a population of nearly 13,000,000. Later this state 
would have held with difficulty any friendly senti- 
ments toward Russia, and their ambition would have 
been to realize their national dreams in Bessarabia 
and the Balkans. Consequently, the failure of the 
plans of the great power of Rumania in these men- 
tioned propositions do not oppose particularly the 
political interests of Russia. This circumstance 
must be utilized by us in view of the consolidation 
of these forced bonds which unite Russia to Rumania 
for as long time as possible. 

Our successes on the Rumanian front have for us 
an extraordinary importance, as unique a possibility 
as for answering once and for all, in the sense de- 
sired by us, the question relating to Constantinople 
and the straits. The actual events in Rumania have 
wholly modified the conditions of the Treaty of 
1916. In place of the relatively modest support 
that Russia felt bound to give in Dobrudja, she 
was compelled to intrust the defense of all Rumanian 
territory almost exclusively to the Russian troops. 
This military aid of Russia has now taken such pro- 
portions that the promise of territorial indemnity to 

101 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Russia for her entrance into war, provided for in 
the agreement just mentioned, should undoubtedly 
be subjected to a revision." 

POLIVANOV. 

Revision! That is the essential word, the 
key of Russian policy towards Rumania. It 
is beyond doubt that the treaty made in 
August, 1916, was the starting point for the 
discontent of Russia; those close to Nicholas 
II evidently saw in the invasion of Wallachia 
and the intervention of the Muscovite army a 
means of revising the agreements concluded 
with Bukharest in favor of Petrograd. This, 
since the publication of the document of 
Polivanov could not be contested. Besides, 
this note is a moral proof of the czarist treason 
toward King Ferdinand. It asserts that the 
Russians should be happy by the want of suc- 
cess of the latter. From this we understand 
that the voluntary delay of the Muscovite 
troops contributed to this result only one step. 
Without temerity one can affirm that the 

102 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

revelations of the future will only bring forth 
more clearly the truth already partly seen. 
In any case the document of PoUvanov is one 
of the most important that the Russian in- 
surrection has brought to light.^ 

BAD WAR PLANS 

Rumania should have attacked Bulgaria and 
should have remained on the defensive to the 
northwest against Austria-Hungary. This is 
an opinion which has been heard on all sides 
and which has often been repeated here in 
America, as constituting the principal cause of 
the Rumanian defeat. Before the Russian 
treason was known this opinion was thrust 
forth and presented as the cause for the de- 
feat. 

Vice- Admiral Fournier, former chief of the 
French Navy, in an article appearing in the 
"Courrier des Etats Unis" of February 6, 
1917, wrote: 

1 Ch. Stienon, op. dt., p. 2^21. 
103 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

As long as Rumania kept her neutrality, the active 
part of the Russian Army, facing the north to help 
the offensive of General Brussilov, was directly cov- 
ered on its flank by Wallachia and Moldavia and, 
in the rear, by Dobrudja. The Russians thought 
that in case of a Rumanian intervention on the side 
of the Entente their new allies would keep the de- 
fensive in Transylvania in order to attack Bulgaria 
en masse (we were holding her most effective troops 
before Saloniki). They estimated that they would 
have time to execute the necessary change of front 
to support and to cover the offensive of their neigh- 
bors before the heavy German reinforcement could 
arrive at its destination. 

This plan was also extolled by General Averesco, 
who was one of the most esteemed chiefs of his own 
country. Unfortunately, other views prevailed, and 
the plan of attack against Bulgaria was replaced by 
a plan of an offensive in Transylvania. 

Almost the whole of the Rumanian Army then 
penetrated into Transylvania, turning its back on 
the principal enemy and weakening itself as, driving 
back the Hungarians by degrees, it widened the 
front until the day when it met the German rein- 
forcements, which had hastened to the help of their 
allies. Then this valiant army was broken and 
thrown back again to the frontier, losing in the 

104 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

retreat a great part of its artillery and almost a 
third of its effectiveness. In the meantime the Bul- 
garians, making use of the ambiguity with which 
they had cleverly surrounded their real intentions, 
were invading Dobrudja and were marching upon 
Bukharest, having easily crossed the Danube, which 
for several hundred kilometers was guarded by one 
single division of militia. Under these conditions 
the taking of Bukharest and the invasion of a great 
part of Rumania was inevitable. 

As for the Russian Army, surprised by the rapid 
succession of the Rumanian reverses, the commanders 
suspended the offensive of Brussilov's army in or- 
der to direct great reinforcements into Rumania. 
But the available troops were such that it was not 
possible to cover the flank in Wallachia and the rear 
in Dobrudja rapidly enough to arrest the advance 
of the invaders. 

It was on the Sereth that the Russians, uniting 
with the first body of troops that had arrived from 
the army of General Salikarov, formed a defensive 
front enlarged by several good Rumanian divisions. 
The actual resistance of this front, the points of 
support which it can find in the rear, the uninter- 
rupted and progressive flow of reinforcements which 
reached it, permits one to hope that the most press- 
ing peril is now almost averted. 

105 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The czar himself, who did me the great honor to 
receive me at dinner and at breakfast at general 
headquarters, has in a private audience given me the 
assurance that in a verj few weeks the military situa- 
tion in the Balkans would commence to change. 

This article was written after the vice-ad- 
miral had visited Rumania and Russia, where 
he had the honor of being invited to breakfast 
and to dinner by the czar. The opinion ex- 
pressed in this article is certainly the result of 
the interview which he had with the czar and 
with other important personages of Russia; 
it reflects exactly the views of the czarist pohcy, 
which tried to cast upon Rumania all the re- 
sponsibility of her defeat and to justify the 
want of help which was due to Rumania from 
Russia. 

One certain fact remains of that which the 
vice-admiral wrote, and that is that the czar 
and those of his entourage were surprised by 
the entry of the Rumanian Army into Transyl- 

106 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

vania; that, therefore, there was another plan 
known to the Russian staff — the offensive in 
Bulgaria. Herewith are the words of the 
former chief of the Rumanian staff, the one 
who had the responsibility, the conception, and 
the execution of the war plan : 

The Russian Government submitted to us an 
elaborated plan of campaign in which the probable 
role of Bulgaria was not taken into account. At 
our objection Mr. Boris Sturmer, then the president 
of the council, replied that never would Bulgaria be 
willing to fight against Russia. Then we asked for 
two hundred thousand men of the Russian troops for 
the Dobrudja front. We were told that twenty thou- 
sand men would amply suffice for a demonstration of 
a purely political character. Twice our staff de- 
manded that the Russian Government commence by an 
operation against Bulgaria, which would have taken 
the form of the occupation of a strip of land on the 
right banks of the Danube. The taking of Roust- 
chouk would have been security for our capital. The 
French staff shared entirely our opinion but Russia 
placed upon this an absolute veto.^ 

iComnene, op. cit., p. 169. 

107 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

This declaration was made to the representa- 
tives of the press in April, 1917. 

In the "Figaro" of July 7, 1917, under the 
signature of "Polybe," we read: 

I have acquired the conviction, having seen the 
official papers, that the principal mistakes of strategy 
and of general tactics which have been committed by 
the staff of Bukharest were advised, if not dictated, 
by the Russian StavJca and the Government of Petro- 
grad. 

Which one of these two hypotheses is the 
true one? Either this bad plan was the work 
of General Iliesco or it was imposed by Rus- 
sia? It is difficult to know the truth; but if 
the first hypothesis is true, it proves that Gen- 
eral Iliesco was not a big enough man for this 
position; if the second hypothesis is true, it 
proves that Mr. Bratiano and his chief of staff 
were guilty of having accepted a plan of war 
imposed upon them when the very existence 
of the country was at stake. 

We must leave to specialists to appreciate 
108 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

which of these two plans would have been the 
better, and we must recognize from circum- 
stances that the result would have been the 
same whether the offensive was carried against 
Bulgaria or whether it was carried against 
Austria. Had the Kumanian Army pene- 
trated into Bulgaria, leaving small forces on 
the offensive on the side of the Carpathians, 
Russia would have had the same attitude to- 
wards Rumania, the Army of Saloniki would 
not have been any more energetic, on the other 
fronts there would have been the same calm; 
that is to say, Rumania would have been left 
alone just as she has been, and then the 
Rumanian Army would have found itself in 
Bulgaria facing the forces of Mackensen, and 
nothing would have prevented Falkenhayn, 
who was in Transylvania, from entering 
Rumania by the passes of the Carpathians and 
then covering all the lines of retreat of the 
Rumanian Army. If the whole of the Ruma- 
nian Army was not able to resist in the Car- 

109 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

pathians the drives of Falkenhayn, how could 
one beheve that only a part of this army could 
have had any better result? Perhaps if there 
had been an offensive in Bulgaria the whole of 
the Rumanian Army would have been made 
prisoners, crushed between the forces of Mac- 
kensen and Falkenhayn and abandoned by 
Russia. According to the plans already exe- 
cuted, a work imposed by the Russian Govern- 
ment or made by General Iliesco, the Ruma- 
nian Army was at least able to withdraw on the 
S^reth and to prove its courage and resist- 
ance ; at least it has escaped the ridiculous posi- 
tion of being enveloped on every side by the 
enemy and obliged to surrender. 

WANT OF MATERIAL PREPARATION 

The material preparation of the army was 
wholly incomplete. 

Heavy artillery, aviation, machine-guns, have the 
mastery in war. Despite this, after two years' reflec- 
tion, — years so fertile in lessons, — the national army 

110 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

had only, all told, eight old 150's, some 105's, and 
75's in rather insignificant numbers. There were 
munitions stored for about three months, and these 
insufficiencies all flowed from the same principle 
falsely preconceived, the powerlessness of the ad- 
versary to parry. Thus before starting to fight the 
army carried within itself one element of her defeat. 
But Brussilov had just annihilated in Galicia 600,000 
Austro-Hungarians ; on the Somme the English and 
the French were decimating the German divisions ; 
before Gorizia, the Duke of Aosta was cutting to 
pieces the army of General Buroevic. Presumption 
gave birth to failure. Will one ever be able to say 
how much, especially among those of our allies who 
are the most Latin, how much we have lowered our- 
selves by misconstruing in a systematic manner the 
qualities of an enemy? 

As for the technical personnel, neither the officers 
nor their men had learned the latest perfections in 
tactics. The defilement of a battery, the lifting of 
a barrage ... so many procedures which have be- 
come the classics on our lines, but which remain un- 
known at Bukharest. A war in the mountains, it is 
true, lends itself poorly to the application of new 
procedures, but as early as October they were fight- 
ing in the plains, and one saw then the incredible in- 
experience of the artillery. How many times did it 

111 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

not happen under the steady bombardment of the 
Germans, as at Zinnicea, that our unfortunate allies 
could not even form a battery. And seeing the waves 
of assault rushing behind movable barrage of artil- 
lery, the defenders of the city remained stupefied. 
As for aviation, it did n't even exist ; several out-of- 
date equipments without value. Thus for several 
months the Rumanians knew nothing of what was hap- 
pening with the adversary, and he, on the contrary, 
was perfectly posted. The arrival of the French 
escadrille overcame this cause of inferiority at least. 
The same remarks can be made on the subject of 
the sanitary corps, the transportations, and the effi- 
ciency of the railroads. Truly one might think that 
two years of neutrality served for nothing. The 
country possessed a large and disciplined army, but 
not an effort was made to adapt it to the new 
exigencies. The staff was ignorant even of a trench, 
thus calling holes that were incapable of any pro- 
tection. And one single shot of a 77 bearing upon a 
shelter brought about a general crumbling up. It 
was, then, necessary to teach officers the art of cam- 
paign fortification. . . . Everywhere there was the 
same negligence. The committee on general safety 
was incapable of doing its task and did not know, or 
was unwilling to, how to repress spying, an evil too 
well-known in France for us to ignore its ravages. 

112 




<V (U 



a 




IIS 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

But if the beginnings of the Rumanian Army were 
sad, the continuation became more discomforting.^ 

These observations, made with great com- 
petency, are unfortunately very just. 

General Iliesco made the following declara- 
tion to the Prussian representative in April, 
1917: 

Early in the beginning of the great war Rumania 
felt sure that she would have to enter into the war by 
the side of the Allies. Already, in the month of 
August, 1914, we had began to prepare and re- 
organize our army. It was an arduous task and a 
long one. From 180,000 men we had to bring our 
army to 820,000 men, out of which 560,000 were 
fighting men. Our list of officers had to be tripled. 
We had neither munitions nor machine-guns. 

Therefore, — ^let not this affirmation surprise you, 
— in July, 1916, taking into consideration the im- 
mense difficulties of transportation and of communi- 
cations with our Western allies, Rumania, who, how- 
ever, had worked without ceasing, "was not ready." ^ 

General Rudeanu, head of the Rumanian 

1 Stienon, op. cit., p. 319. 

2 Comnene, op. cit., p. 168. 

114< 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

Military Mission to Paris, declared also that 
Rumania commenced the war without great 
armament, but ''with the confidence that we 
had in France." ^ 

These declarations, far from having the char- 
acter of a justification, constitute, on the con- 
trary, one of the irrefutable proofs of the 
weakness with which the Government presided 
over by Mr. Bratiano conducted itself during 
the gravest moments in the history of this coun- 
try. 

This Government has frivolously declared 
through two authorized organs that it de- 
clared war on Austria-Hungary without the 
army being ready. It must be understood that 
the want of sufficient preparation has not con- 
stituted the cause of the Rumanian defeat, but 
a good material preparation would have proved 
the earnestness of the Government, and the 
army would have been in a better position to 
resist the attacks of the enemy; this want of 

1 See p. 12. 

116 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

prepaTation could not contribute to the cause 
of the defeat because it was impossible for Ru- 
mania to resist alone those who attacked her. 

General Hiritesco, former Second Chief of 
the General Staff of the Rumanian Army and, 
with General Averesco and Her j en, one of the 
wisest and most brilliant of Rumanian gen- 
erals, said in the council of generals that it is 
absolute folly to believe that one could possibly 
fight on two fronts totaling 800 miles with an 
army of from 500,000 to 600,000 men even 
though they were the very best that the world 
could provide and armed sufficiently with the 
completest modern instruments of war. 

Rumania is a small and isolated country. 
Her army could not be valuable except with the 
immediate and complete help of the Russian 
armies; but fatality, or rather Petrograd, was 
not willing that the Russian Army should move 
at the very moment when Rumania was playing 
the most dangerous game. 



116 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

WANT OF MORAL PREPARATION 

But what do we understand by moral prep- 
aration? "The Rumanians lacked also the 
hatred of the enemy." ^ 

To explain this thesis one of the critics of the 
author of "Le Mystere Roumain et la Defec- 
tion Russe" states that the Rumanian soldier 
had no reproach for the Turks, the Bulgarians, 
or the Germans ; that they had only antipathy 
for the Hungarians as illegitimate possessors 
of Transylvania. "Neither hatred nor ideal 
led them to it." 

These observations might lead one to be- 
lieve that the Rumanian soldier fought reluc- 
tantly, that he was wavering, without bravery 
and without resistance; but Mr. Stienon does 
not draw these conclusions ; on the contrary, he 
recognized at every step in his excellent book 
the bravery and the sacrifice of the Rumanian 
soldier. "I believe," he says, "that I have 

1 Stienon, op. cit., p. 318. 

117 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

neglected no occasion to praise the individual 
valor of the Rumanian soldier. I recognize 
that the morale preparation of the soldier to 
hate his enemy is useful — though it is not indis- 
pensable. But the failure to do so does not 
constitute a cause for the Rumanian defeat." ^ 
It might happen that the preparation of the 
soldier to hate or to love his future probable 
enemy or ally is useless and even dangerous. 
One never knows the attitude which those in 
power of a country may take sometimes at the 
last moment. Bulgaria gave a striking ex- 
ample of such a case. There the people were 
brought up to love and respect "Holy Russia." 
The least among the Bulgarians knew that 
Russia had liberated them from the yoke of the 
Turks and had always protected them. This 
sentiment of love and gratitude was so deep 
that in Russia everybody believed before the 
war that never would a Bulgarian soldier dare 
to touch a soldier of the Russian czar. And 

iStienon, op. cit 319. 

118 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

even in Bulgaria they feared the effect of such 
an education; on the other hand an element of 
the Bulgarian religion tried to inspire hatred 
among the Bulgarian population against the 
Rumanians. 

Nevertheless in the struggles v^^hich took 
place in Dobrudja, the Bulgarian soldiers 
fought with the same bitterness against the 
Russians as against the Rumanians and the 

1 Mr. Oscar Spiresco published in November, 1917, in the 
New York newspapers an article in which he writes, among 
other things: "I have read with interest in the Press of No- 
vember 10 an excerpt of the Bulgarian 'Hymn of Hate,' 
which reveals to the world the real mind of the Bulgarian peo- 
ple. Quite futile it is for the Bulgarian minister in Washing- 
ton to dismiss this damning revelation of the Bulgarian mind 
by saying that the author of the Bulgarian 'Hymn of Hate' is 
an unknown scrivener and that this hymn is an obscure utter- 
ance, for of all Bulgarian authors, Ivan ArnaudofF is one of 
the most widely read and best qualified to express the spirit of 
Bulgaria. In fact, for the very reason that Mr. Arnaudofif is 
a leader of Bulgarian thought he enjoys his high position as 
a member of the Bulgarian Board of Education. Ivan Arnau- 
dofF is the mentor of his people, the Kipling of Bulgaria, and 
well has he caught the spirit of his race in the demoniacal words 
of the Bulgarian 'Hymn of Hate': 'Let not one stone rest on 
another. Let not one child rejoice; not one old man lean on 
his grandson's shoulders. Throw their skulls to the starving 
dogs; let there remain on the ruins your hand has sown only 
skeletons and ghosts.'" 

119 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Serbs ; and it is important to remember that the 
soldier and the Bulgarian population showed 
themselves just as ferocious against the Rus- 
sian prisoners as against the Serbian or Ru- 
manian. They did not hesitate to disembowel, 
to put out the eyes, to cut out the tongue, or to 
allow their prisoners to die of hunger, whether 
they were Rumanians, whether they were 
Serbs, or whether they were Russians. 

But the Rumanian soldier has never known 
or hated the German soldier. Nevertheless he 
threw himself with bayonet in hand against the 
Germans with the same spirit as against the 
Hungarian or the Bulgarian, sowing death 
among them without any hesitation; but the 
difference between the Rumanian and the Bul- 
garian lies in the fact that after the battle is 
over the Rumanian is never capable of touching 
his prisoner may he be Hungarian, Turk, or 
Bulgarian; on the contrary, he takes care of 
him, and he yields him willingly, if necessary, 
his last piece of bread, content with having re- 

120 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

lieved the sufferings of one who has been con- 
quered. Should a Rumanian officer dare to 
give the order to his troops to massacre the 
prisoners, the women, the children, or the old 
men of the enemy, surely his order would be dis- 
obeyed by that very army which excels else- 
where in its discipline. Advise the Rumanian 
soldier to escape to the enemy, to no longer lis- 
ten to his leaders, to betray his native land, all 
this is useless ; he does not listen. During this 
war one single Rumanian officer deserted to the 
enemy, but he went alone. No one was willing 
to follow him, not even his orderly, who was 
driving the automobile as chauffeur and who 
refused to enter the enemy lines, preferring to 
be killed by his superior officer rather than to 
betray his duty as soldier. Trotzky has had 
the pretension to introduce Maximalism into 
Rumania. His agents did their utmost to cor- 
rupt the Rumanian soldiers, to have them de- 
sert their duty, but with no success. 

The Rumanian soldier is not only the work 
121 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

of discipline ; it is rather his personal character 
that guides him. Each nation, or rather each 
race, has characteristics inherited from its an- 
cestors and influenced more or less by circum- 
stances in the past of its people. The Bul- 
garian is brave and ferocious because it is a 
characteristic of his to be so; the Rumanian is 
brave and gentle for the same reason ; each one 
of these retains the characteristics of his ances- 
tors. The Rumanian soldier is profoundly 
conscientious. Even before the war, during 
the mobilization of 1913, also of 1916, the peas- 
ant gave startling proofs of his great patriot- 
ism. As an example we will cite but two cases 
of the thousands that took place. Electrified 
by the clarion which calls he leaves everything 
and runs to place himself under the flag. The 
Bukharests have noted with enthusiasm the 
case of a peasant who was the conductor of a 
tramway. He was in the principal street of 
Bukharest as a group of recruits was passing; 
the bugle was announcing in all the streets the 

12S 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

general mobilization. The conductor stopped 
his car, left everybody seated therein, and went 
to place himself in the ranks of those who were 
mobilized. 

At Sinaia, as a peasant was passing peace- 
fully with his cart loaded with merchandise, he 
heard the clarion calling to arms. He leaves 
his cart, begs the first passer-by to drive it back 
to his home, and enters the group of recruits, 
although he yet had forty-eight hours' time in 
which to report to his regiment. 

It is noticeable that in all the mobilization 
only three or four per cent, failed to answer the 
call. 

The Rumanian peasant is conscientious, in- 
telhgent, and always ready to face death. It 
does not frighten him. It is not necessary for 
him to hate the enemy in order to be able to 
fight. All that he needs is to know that his 
country calls him, that he must fight for her, 
for this land which he so loves, and that is all; 
he has understood; he knows how to do his 

123 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

duty; he fights, indifferent if his enemy is Hun- 
garian, Bulgarian, or Russian. This has been 
largely proved during this war. The Ru- 
manian soldier has fought with the same hero- 
ism against the Bulgarians, the Turks, the 
Germans, the Austro-Hungarians, and when 
at last he had to fight against the Russians, his 
companions of yesterday, he struck them with 
such ardor that they were forced to surrender 
or take to flight. A soldier must be filled with 
the desire to do his duty, to sacrifice himself for 
his native land. His ideal must be to respond 
with courage and abnegation to the call of his 
country, and it is that which constituted the 
moral education, that he has his ideals for which 
he sacrifices himself without a murmur and 
without bitterness. 

Before this world war one might have be- 
lieved that the faculty of facing death belonged 
rather to the least civilized people, those least 
capable of reasoning, to those people with more 

124 



CAUSES OF THE RUMANIAN DEFEAT 

or less warlike education; one could have be- 
lieved that the man of to-day, accustomed to a 
more intellectual and more agreeable life, 
would not be capable of enduring the miseries 
of a war. 

But this war has given us great surprises; 
heroism has manifested itself everywhere, 
among all the peoples in the struggle; and the 
surprise is all the greater when we see that the 
army of the United States, organized at one 
stroke among men educated specially in indus- 
try, commerce, agriculture, business, — this 
young army of a civilized country, civilized 
from top to bottom and from bottom to top, — 
conducts itself on the field of battle with an 
enthusiasm and a heroism which equals that of 
the most brilliant armies of warlike countries. 

The Russians alone have not reached this 
height, although this population is the least 
civilized and the least happy. But what can 
a people do when badly led? The true Rus- 
sian soldier is good when he is well disciplined 

125 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

and well led. Perhaps there is yet time, for 
certain things may happen to bring out the 
patriotism of the true Russians who are to-day 
scattered without leadership, but who to-mor- 
row may redeem by their sacrifices so many 
errors and so many crimes. 



126 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUS- 
SIANS AND THE GERMAN 
ULTIMATUM 

THE Bolsheviki, not content with all the 
misfortunes which Russia had caused 
Rumania, gave the order for their army to 
leave Rumania. This retreat finished the pil- 
lage and the devastation of the country ; at the 
same time the Rumanian minister at Petrograd 
was arrested, King Ferdinand was threatened 
with arrest if Rumania did not consent to make 
peace with the Central powers on the side of 
the Bolsheviki. Rumania refused this ulti- 
matum of one ally, and then a Russian army of 
several divisions advanced against Rumania. 
Immediately a part of the Rumanian Army 
was detached from the Sereth front and sent 
against Russia. 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Many battles took place between the Rus- 
sians and the Rumanians near Galatz. The 
Rumanian soldiers attacked with great en- 
thusiasm the Russians, who were forced to 
withdraw into Bessarabia. The Rumanians 
pursued them, and a great battle took place 
near Reiney in Bessarabia; 20,000 Russians 
were made prisoners; the rest of the Russian 
Army withdrew in disorder, leaving a great 
deal of ammunition in the hands of the Ru- 
manians. 

All of Bessarabia was occupied by the troops 
of King Ferdinand, and the Rumanian flag 
was raised on the public buildings of the towns 
and villages of Bessarabia. 

The Bolsheviki protested against this occu- 
pation, threatening to send against Rumania 
much larger forces ; at the same time the armis- 
tice between Rumania and the Central powers 
had expired, and they were sending an ulti- 
matum to Rumania to determine whether she 
wanted to make peace or continue the war to 

128 




^MiMi 



imiMm 



THE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUSSIANS 

the bitter end. Herewith is the opinion of the 
French press upon this great event. 

"Journal des Debats," February 11, 1918 
(A. Gauvin). 

We feel deeply for our brave Rumanian friends in 
this, their new trial. We should send them rather 
encouragement than counsel, for one can hardly well 
appreciate the situation except on the spot. The 
communications of the West with Jassy and Kief are 
so slow and subjected to so many risks that we miss 
the most precious elements of appreciation. Never- 
theless, it is more than likely that Rumania is not 
exposed to an immediate offensive. The enemies' 
troops are not very numerous in comparison to the 
troops of King Ferdinand. They are probably not 
in a condition to bring about a decisive stroke. The 
Rumanian Government appears, then, to have time 
to appreciate the possibilities open to it. If it is 
more reassured on the Russian side, it might certainly 
hold, at least during some time, against the Bulgaro- 
Touranians. If it should be attacked also on the 
side of Ukraine, one dares not think of the extremi- 
ties to which it would be reduced. 

"Le Temps," Febmary 11, 1918 (Edito- 
rial). 

129 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The role of Rumania, which has not been very 
grievous for these long months past, is becoming 
again important. This is the desired policy of the 
enemy, affirmed by the parleying of Brest-Litovsk and 
confirmed by the resolutions of Berlin. 

The governments of Germany and Austria-Hun- 
gary are in haste to grasp the provisions of Ukraine. 
They think, probably, that the best means to defend 
their people against the Maximalist propaganda is to 
feed them better. But between the Central powers 
and the port of Odessa, where the shipment of wheat 
to reach the Danube might take place, there exists a 
much more serious obstacle than the Maximalist an- 
archy against which the German newspapers fulmi- 
nate; there is Rumania, that is to say, an organized 
state, a patriotic nation, a robust army, which is 
wanting neither in officers nor in material of war. 
Thus it is not surprising that General Mackensen has 
called upon Rumania to negotiate peace. He would 
like to set aside the watchman who is in front of the 
granary. The summons sent to the Rumanians is an 
attempt at intimidation rather than an attack. 

But we must consider all the hypotheses, even the 
one that Rumania should really be obliged to choose 
between a war to the bitter end or a separate peace. 

One cannot compromise with pitiless masters like 
the Austro-Germans. Valiant Rumania, who has a 

130 



THE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUSSIANS 

right to her liberty and her unity, has but one policy 
to follow — that which Mr. Orlando defined after the 
enemy offensive of Venetia, when he exclaimed, "Re- 
sistere, resistere, resisterel" ^ 

"Le Petit Journal," February 10, 1918. 

One has not forgotten that Rumania has adhered 
to the armistice which united the whole of the Rus- 
sian front. But the heroic Rumanian Army, which 
has a strength of several hundred thousand men, the 
Rumanian Government, the King and Queen of Ru- 
mania, in a unanimous burst of patriotism have held 
themselves aside from the negotiations of Russia with 
the Central empires. 

By holding themselves as they have done until now 
they have forced Germany and her Allies to hold 
themselves motionless far from the Western front, 
both men and material. 

In order to give all freedom of action to his king, 
Mr. Jean Bratiano, president of the council, who has 
been in power during the past four years, and who on 
the twenty-ninth of August, 1916, had associated 
Rumania with the destinies of France and her allies, 
has just handed in his resignation. 

At this hour so tragic in her destiny Rumania can- 

1 N. A. The advice is good, but one should have wherewith 
to eat in order to follow it. 

ISl 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

not ignore, no more than she has already done since 
the day when the grievous hours commenced for her, 
that to yield to her enemies is not to appease them, 
but it is to render their appetite more insatiable. 

Let us await what her wisdom and her heroism shall 
dictate to her. 

"L'Homme Libre," February 10, 1918. 

From Paris it is difficult for us to judge exactly 
the situation of Rumania and her army. This army, 
well rehabilitated, guards jealously the soil which 
the Austro-Boches have hesitated to attempt to take 
away from her. The ultimatum to Rumania, like an 
ultimatum to the Government of Petrograd, demands 
troops and material. On the Rumanian front, moun- 
tainous and difficult, any advance appears yet more 
hazardous. 

It remains to be known what is the state of revic- 
tualizing this army in provisions and munitions ; 
there are unknown questions and difficult to solve, the 
reply of King Ferdinand alone will show the value. 

Whilst Trotsky seeks to enter upon "the game of 
secret documents" with the German Government, as he 
did with us, to the profit of our enemies, King Ferdi- 
nand prepares at Jassy the reply to the Mackensen 
ultimatum. Awaiting this decision, France can only 
remind herself of the valor of her unfortunate ally. 

isa 



THE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUSSIANS 

"Echo de Paris," February 11, 1918 (Per- 
tinax). 

All our thoughts are with Rumania. We must 
hope that, despite her critical condition, the army, 
with an eifective force greatly superior to all those 
who are opposed to her, upheld rather than weakened 
by the heroic sacrifices already sustained, will remain 
faithful to the duties of her alliance. The last 
thought of the French cabinet and, without doubt, 
of the other Allied cabinets, has been expressed to 
King Ferdinand and to his counselors. The decision 
rests with their consciences. 

The German policy displays at this moment a su- 
preme attempt to obtain the disarmament of the only 
great force which yet threatens between the Carpath- 
ians and the Ural. 

"La Victoire," Februarjr 10, 1918 (Gustave 

Herve). 

Poor Rumania ! That Ukraine should anger us, 
we, the great major democracies of the West, Eng- 
land, Italy, France, and America, we are large 
enough after this treason not only to defend ourselves 
against Germany, but to bring her to her knees. 

It is cowardly of Ukraine to stab in the back the 
heroic Rumanian Army, which, with her back to the 

llSS 



n 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

frontiers of southern Russia, awaited against all hope 
a resurrection of the Russian Army in the fight. 

By her capitulation Ukraine delivers the Rumanian 
Army, hands and feet bound, to Germany. Reduced 
to a quarter of her territory, Rumania could only con- 
tinue to fight if Southern Russia continued to revict- 
ualize her at the expense of the Allies both as to food 
and munitions. By withdrawing from the breeches 
with this absolute irresponsibility the Ukrainians drive 
unfortunate Rumania to capitulate herself. 

Already it is announced that the President of the 
Rumanian Council, Bratiano, has handed in his resig- 
nation and that Mackensen has just sent an ultimatum 
to the Rumanian Government to demand the conclud- 
ing of peace within four days. 

It is gay, when one is a little nation, to be our ally ! 

It is gay, when one is a great nation, to be the ally 
of Russia ! 

"La Victoire," Febmaiy 11, 1918 (Gustave 
Herve) . 

Is there anything more frightful than the situation 
of Rumania since Ukraine has consented to kiss the 
German boot? 

Neither the situation of unfortunate Serbia nor 
the situation of unhappy Belgium has anything to 
be compared to this ! 

134< 



THE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUSSIANS 

Independent Serbia is reduced to a shred of terri- 
tory in the vicinity of Monastir; but the Serbian 
army, solidly flanked and surrounded by English, Ital- 
ian, Greek and French troops, can await, without 
fear, and without despair, the hour of vengeance. 

Since October, 1916, there is left of free Belgium 
only a few hundred kilometers in the neighborhood of 
the Yser, occupied by the Belgian army, but encom- 
passed solidly by the English and French troops ; the 
noble little army knows well that the hour of deliver- 
ance will ring for the whole of Belgium and that she 
will enter one day in triumph into Ghent, into Ant- 
werp, into Brussels, and into Liege. 

The fate of the Rumanian Army is otherwise 
atrocious. 

To-day it is a blow with a club on her rear. 
Ukraine makes peace with the Central empires, and 
Mackensen gives her four days to surrender. If 
unhappy Rumania, betrayed by the Ukrainians, has 
been driven to capitulate, it is not she who should 
be blamed, but those who have reduced her to this 
harsh extremity. 

To see an Allied nation assassinated and to be 
powerless to bring her any direct aid, what a heart- 
ache for all the Western Allies ! And more particu- 
larly for us Frenchmen who have so many causes to 
love this new martyred people !" 

135 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

"Le Figaro," February 11, 1918 (Polybe). 

The Rumanian Army, on the contrary, has never 
yet been more strong, better disciplined, or better 
provided with artillery. In the course of a long and 
frightful tragedy she has given proof of a tried en- 
durance and of a valor worthy of an epic poem. 
Some one said one day that she was making but a 
"half war." It is a whole war that she has fought 
against the "Quadruplice," and, alas, also against 
the Russian troops. A few divisions are established 
solidly in Bessarabia, a region as fertile as Ukraine, 
with infinite fields of wheat, rich fields where are pas- 
tured herds of ostriches. Never has glory made 
more of a halo for the "head of Auroch" in the coat 
of arms of Moldavia ! Mackensen, I acknowledge, 
plays his game, but while playing it he allows his 
cards to be seen! 

This should be enough to dictate to the Entente 
her duty. There are no circumstances in the world 
where it should await events. Everywhere there is 
something to be done; at Jassy, at Petrograd, and 
again elsewhere. There is something to be done with- 
out delay for all the peoples of the Entente. Japan 
is one of these people ; it is the "Empire of the Rising 
Sun." Will she permit that another sun shall rise 
out of the shadow to mount the heavens of extreme 
Asia? 

136 



CHAPTER IX 
RUMANIA AND PEACE 

RUMANIA has concluded a peace — a 
peace imposed, but not desired. 
Isolated and without help, unable to obtain 
food or materials of war, the Rumanian Army 
found itself squeezed in front by Mackensen, 
strangled in the rear by Russia, and menaced 
on the north by German forces, which operated 
on the Russian front, but which had been lib- 
erated by the desertion of the army of Lenine. 
The disaster was complete; all was lost save 
honor: we did retain the honor of our valiant 
army, which had struggled with heroism 
against the enemy, against its own ally, and 
against all manner of privations; we still kept 

137 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the admiration of the whole world for this brave 
population which suffered with resignation the 
invasion of the enemy, sickness without medical 
help, starvation, and pillage by the Russian 
Army. 

The government of Bratiano, which with 
Take Jonesco, made the war, became fright- 
ened at the result of their acts, resigned and fled 
at the critical moment ; the king then appealed 
to Mr. Marghiloman, chief of the Conservative 
party, in order that he might take up the re- 
sponsibility of the situation. He accepted this 
charge and concluded a peace. Mr. Marghilo- 
man has been from the very beginning of the 
European War constantly on the side of neu- 
trality. 

A protest of several Rumanian organizations 
against the Treaty of Bukharest was received 
from Paris through official French channels. 
The dispatch follows : 

A protest against the Treaty of Bukharest, signed 
by the committee of the Paris Rumanian colony, by 

188 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

the committee of Rumanians from Transylvania and 
Bukowina, and by the delegates of the Committee of 
Oppressed Nationalities says : 

"The Rumanian people have been crossed from the 
list of free nations. The peace imposed upon Ru- 
mania by the Central powers is the very negation of 
the political and economic independence of our coun- 
try. It is an act of hatred and vengeance done with 
violence and with utter disregard of the most ele- 
mentary principles of justice. 

"might succeeds over bight 

"The Rumanian people cannot accept it. Her 
enemies imposed upon her what they call a peace 
based on German friendship. In fact, it is the most 
cruel and insulting subjection: military subjection 
through the loss of the Carpathian range; political 
subjection through German interference in all the 
great state administrations; commercial subjection 
through the theft of Dobrudja, the only maritime 
province of Rumania, and through the domination 
established by the Germans over the Danubian naviga- 
tion; industrial subjection through the monopoly of 
the most important mineral wealth of the country — 
the oils ; financial subjection through the control 
established by the Germans over the chief product of 
the country — cereals. 

139 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

"Such is the political and economic slavery to 
which the Germans intend to subject Rumania. 
Might succeeded over right. Germany has trampled 
under foot the sacred principles of liberty and jus- 
tice for which all nations, united, fight. 

FREE RUMANIANS PROTEST 

The free Rumanians who live in the land of noble 
France raise their voices in protest against the 
monstrous crime. The Bukharest act is not a peace 
treaty ; it is an evident contradiction of the idea 
of peace as the civilized world understands it. The 
clauses of this treaty excluded very plainly the free 
consent of Rumania. It is one more act of hard vio- 
lence imposed by a pitiless enemy. 

The Rumanian people, left without arms before the 
German bayonets, no more enjoying any freedom in 
their actions and opinions, cannot express a protest 
against this peace of spoliation and subjection. But 
they turn to their great allies in full confidence and 
hope. The interests of the Rumanian nation are 
solidly with those of the great Western democracies. 
Rumania at the door of the Balkan Peninsula, is the 
only barrier against German invasion toward the 
south and toward Asia. In the name of the Ru- 
manian people we declare that to-day as yesterday 
we are the allies of the Entente powers, and we pro- 

140 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

claim that the Treaty of Bukharest, with all classes 
and added conventions, is null and void.^ 

It is true that peace under the conditions im- 
posed is disastrous for Rumania, but what else 
could be done ? 

The question was how to keep out of this mis- 
erable situation. By the time peace was con- 
cluded, the disaster was complete. All Mr. 
Marghiloman could accomplish was to salvage 
bits from the wreckage. 

By this peace Rumania loses in the first place 
Dobrudja, which is a large part of her territory, 
comprising the land between the Danube and 
the Black Sea, where Kustendje is situated, 
her only deep-sea port. 

Rumania, by reason of her geographical po- 
sition, had as sole communication for her ex- 
ports to Western Europe two ways, one by rail 
across Austria-Hungary, the other by the 
Black Sea. The first route is too costly and 
places her at the mercy of Hungary, who will 

1 From the New York "Tribune," May 30, 1918. 
141 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

cause worse difficulties henceforth than in the 
past; the second remains — through the Black 
Sea. 

By the treaty of peace New Dobrudja passes 
into the hands of Bulgaria, and the northern 
part, Ancient Dobrudja, goes to the Central 
powers. 

Ancient Dobrudja belonged to Rumania 
(Wallachia) before the fourteenth century; 
later it fell under the domination of the Turks 
and afterwards was ceded to Rumania in 1878 
by the Congress of Berlin. It had a popula- 
tion of 300,000, of which 70 per cent, were 
Rumanians ; the rest were composed of Turks, 
Bulgarians, Germans, and Itahans. In 1913 
by the peace of Bukharest Rumania obtained a 
small part of Bulgaria, about 5000 square 
miles, known under the name of New Do- 
brudja. In this region the Rumanian element 
is in the minority, the majority of the popula- 
tion being Turks and Bulgarians. 

Rumania spent large sums of money for the 
142 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

development of Ancient Dobrudja. The Tur- 
kish villages were transformed into fine cities. 
The village of Kustendje became a first-class 
port. Bridges, railroads, schools, hospitals, 
etc., opened great possibilities in this province. 

Great installations for the depots of grain 
and petroleum destined for export were made 
at Kustendje, and this port was bound to the 
centers of the country by a pipe-line. Do- 
brudja represented the lungs of Rumania. 
She could breathe ; she had no access to the sea 
except here. 

Besides all this, Rumania had to submit to 
rectifications of boundaries on the side of Hun- 
gary; the conditions are not as yet known; but 
the demands will no doubt include her great 
wealth of forests, petroleum, and minerals. 

It is true that the treaty of peace is made 
without "indemnities" of war, but the value of 
the land annexed is so great that it outweighs 
any indemnity. The formula "No annexa- 
tions, no indemnities," adopted in March, 1917, 

143 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

by the Reichstag, and even by the chancelors 
Michaelis and Hertling, has been completely 
set aside on the occasion of this unfortunate 
peace. Besides annexation the Central powers 
reserve for themselves the right of requisition 
of all kinds of food on the production of 1918 
and many more humiliating and burdensome 
conditions. 

It is understood that this peace had produced 
great satisfaction in the military-political cir- 
cles of Austria and Germany, but we doubt 
if it made the same impression on the industrial 
and commercial circles of these two countries. 
Rumania has been one of their best customers. 
She imports each year merchandise to the value 
of 590,012,640 lei (which represents approxi- 
mately $100,100,000) and from Germany 
alone she buys 237,810,146 lei worth, from 
Austria 138,122,076 lei worth. 

At the same time German capital con- 
tributed greatly to the home manufactures of 
Rumania, establishing factories in the country, 

144 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

thus avoiding the heavy taxes which had been 
imposed by the Rumanian Government to pro- 
tect these newly estabhshed industries, as well 
as in the production of petroleum. Germany 
and Austria should have, then, no interest in 
crushing a country which had been one of their 
best markets and exceedingly profitable for the 
capital. 

By the loss of Dobrudja Rumania is closed 
in on every side, with no access to the sea, and 
she is condemned to a sure and slow death. 
She cannot recover from her disaster. 

Whatever may be the conditions, even if they 
should be outrageous, even if they should take away 
her outlets and her independence, Rumania will sign 
peace, for she cannot do otherwise. There will prob- 
ably be some people who will find in themselves the 
sad courage to reproach her for this. As for us, we 
bow with respect before her misfortune.^ 

We herewith reproduce the text of the treaty 
of peace published in an American newspaper, 
"The New York Times," May 9, 1918: 

1 "Journal de Geneve," March 1918 (Wm. M.). 

145 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

RUMANIA SHACKLED BY TREATY 
WITH FOE 

Text of the Document shows the Kingdom is com- 
pletely under Teuton domination 

JOY EXPRESSED BY KAISER 

He sajs the German people are fighting step by step 
for a happy future 

The peace treaty just signed between Rumania and 
the Central powers consists of eight clauses, says a 
Vienna dispatch to-day. 

It reads : 

CLAUSE I 

Reestablishment of Peace and of Friendship 

Article I. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, 
and Turkey, on the one hand, and Rumania, on the 
other, declare the state of war ended and that the 
contracting parties are determined henceforth to live 
together in peace and friendship. 

Article II. Diplomatic and consular relations be- 
tween the contracting parties will be resumed imme- 
diately after the ratification of the peace treaty. 
The admission of consuls will be reserved for a future 
agreement. 



146 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

CLAUSE U 

Demobilization of the Rumanian Forces 

Article III. The demobilization of the Rumanian 
Army, which is now proceeding, will immediately after 
peace is signed be carried out according to the pre- 
scriptions contained in Articles I and VII. 

Article IV. The regular military bureau, the 
supreme military authorities, and all the military 
institutions will remain in existence as provided by 
the last peace budget. The demobilization of divi- 
sions 11 to 15 will be continued as stipulated in the 
treaty of Focsani signed on March 8, last. Of the 
Rumanian divisions 1 to 10, the two infantry di- 
vision now employed in Bessarabia, including the 
Jaeger battalions, which are the remnants of dissolved 
Jaeger divisions, and including two cavalry divisions 
of the Rumanian Army, will remain on a war footing 
until the danger arising from military operations now 
being carried on in the Ukraine by the Central powers 
ceases to exist. 

The remaining eight divisions, including the staff, 
shall be maintained in Moldavia at the reduced peace 
strength. Each division will be composed of four 
infantry regiments, two cavalry regiments, and one 
battalion of pioneers, together with the necessary 
technical transport troops. The total number of the 

147 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

infantry of the eight divisions shall not exceed 20,000 
men; the total number of cavalry shall not exceed 
8200; the entire artillery of the Rumanian Army, 
apart from the mobile divisions, shall not exceed 
9000 men. The divisions remaining mobilized in 
Bessarabia must, in case of demobilization, be reduced 
to the same peace standard as the eight divisions 
mentioned in Article IV. 

All other Rumanian troops that did not exist in 
peace time will at the end of their term of active 
military service remain as in peace time. Reservists 
shall not be called up for training until a general 
peace has been concluded. 

Article V. Guns, machine-guns, small arms, 
horses, and cars, and ammunition which are available 
owing to the reduction or the dissolution of the Ru- 
manian units shall be given into the custody of the 
supreme command of the Allied (Teutonic) Forces in 
Rumania until the conclusion of a general peace. 
They shall be guarded and superintended by Ru- 
manian troops under supervision of the Allied com- 
mand. The amount of ammunition to be left to the 
Rumanian Army in Moldavia is 250 rounds for each 
rifle, 2500 for each machine-gun, and 150 for each 
gun. The Rumanian Army is entitled to exchange 
unserviceable material at the depots of the occupied 
region, in agreement with the Allied supreme com- 

148 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

mand, and to demand from the depots the equivalent 
of ammunition spent. The divisions in Rumania 
which remain mobilized will receive their ammunition 
requirements on a war basis. 

Article VI. The demobilized Rumanian troops to 
remain in Moldavia until the evacuation of the occu- 
pied Rumanian regions. Excepted from this pro- 
vision are military bureaus and men mentioned in 
Article V, who are required for the supervision of 
the arms and material laid down in these regions. 
The men and reserve officers who have been demobil- 
ized can return to the occupied regions. Active and 
formally active officers require, in order to return to 
these regions, permission of the chief army command 
of the Allied forces. 

Article VII. A general staff officer of the Allied 
powers, with staff, will be attached to the Rumanian 
commander-in-chief in Moldavia, and a Rumanian 
general-staff officer, with staff, will be attached as 
liaison officer to the chief command of the Allied 
forces in the occupied Rumanian districts. 

Article VIII. The Rumanian naval forces will be 
left to their full complement and equipment, in so far 
as their crews, in accordance with Article IX, are 
not to be limited until affairs in Bessarabia are clear, 
whereupon these forces are to be brought to the usual 
peace standard. Excepted herefrom are river forces 

149 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

required for the purposes of river police, and naval 
forces on the Black Sea employed for the protection 
of maritime traffic and the restoration of mine-free 
fairways. Immediately after the signing of the 
peace treaty these river forces will, on a basis of 
special arrangement, be placed at the disposal of the 
authorities intrusted with river policing. The nauti- 
cal Black Sea commission will reserve the right of dis- 
posing of the naval forces on the Black Sea, and a 
naval officer is to be attached to this commission in 
order to restore connection therewith. 

Article IX. All men serving in the army and navy 
who in peace time were employed in connection with 
harbors or shipping shall on demobilization be the 
first to be dismissed in order that they may find em- 
ployment in their former occupations. 

CLAUSE III 

Cessions of Territory Outlined in Articles X, XI, 
and XII 

Article X. With regard to Dobrudja, which, ac- 
cording to Paragraph I of the peace preliminaries, is 
to be added by Rumania, the following stipulations 
are laid down: (a) Rumania cedes again to Bulgaria, 
with frontier rectifications, Bulgarian territory that 
fell to her by virtue of the peace treaty concluded at 
Bukharest in 1913. 

150 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

A commission composed of representatives of the 
Allied powers shall shortly after the signature of the 
treaty lay down and demarkate on the spot the new 
frontier line in Dobrudja. The Danube frontier be- 
tween the regions ceded to Bulgaria and Rumania fol- 
lows the river valley. Directly after the signature of 
the treaty further particulars shall be decided upon 
regarding the definition of the valley. Thus the 
demarkation shall take place in autumn, 1918, at low 
water level. 

(b) Rumania cedes to the Allied powers that por- 
tion of Dobrudja up to the Danube north of the new 
frontier line described under section (a) ; that is to 
say, between the confluence of the stream and the 
Black Sea, to the St. George branch of the river. 
The Danube frontier between the territory ceded to 
the Allied powers and Rumania will be formed by the 
river valley. The Allied powers and Rumania will 
undertake to see that Rumania shall receive an as- 
sured trade route to the Black Sea, by way of Tcher- 
navoda and Kustendje. 

Article XI says that Rumania agrees that the 
frontiers shall undergo rectification in favor of 
Austria-Hungary as indicated on the map and con- 
tinues : 

Two mixed commissions, to be composed of equal 
numbers of representatives of the powers concerned, 

151 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

are immediately after the ratification of the peace 
treaty to fix a new frontier line on the spot. 

Article XII. Property in the ceded regions of 
Rumania passes without indemnification to the states 
which acquire these regions. Those states to which 
the ceded territories fall shall make agreements with 
Rumania on the following points : First, with regard 
to the allegiance of the Rumanian inhabitants of these 
regions and the manner in which they are to be ac- 
corded the right of option ; secondly, with regard to 
the property of communes split by the new frontier ; 
thirdly and fourthly, with regard to administrative 
and juridical matters ; fifthly, with regard to the 
effect of the changes of territory on dioceses. 

Clause IV deals with war indemnities, of which 
Article XIII declares that the contracting parties 
mutually renounce indemnification of their war costs, 
and special arrangements are to be made for the set- 
tlement of damages caused by the war. 

The fifth clause relates to the evacuation of occu- 
pied territories, embodied in articles XIV to XXIV, 
summed up as follows : 

The occupied Rumanian territories shall be evacu- 
ated at times to be later agreed upon. The strength 
of the army of occupation shall, apart from the 
formation employed in economical functions, not sur- 
pass six divisions. Until the ratification of the treaty 

152 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

the present occupation administration continues, but 
immediately after the signature of the treaty the Ru- 
manian Government has the power to supplement the 
corps of officials by such appointments or dismissals 
as may seem good to it. 

Up to the time of evacuation a civil official of the 
occupation administration shall always be attached to 
the Rumanian ministry in order to facilitate so far 
as possible the transfer of the civil administration 
to the Rumanian authorities. The Rumanian author- 
ities must follow the directions which the command- 
ers of the army of occupation consider requisite in 
the interest of the security of the occupied territory, 
as well as the security, maintenance, and distribution 
of their troops. 

For the present, railways, posts, and telegraphs 
will remain under military administration and will, in 
accordance with proper agreements, be at the dis- 
posal of the authorities and population. As a gen- 
eral rule the Rumanian courts will resume jurisdiction 
in the occupied territories to their full extent. The 
Allied powers will retain jurisdiction, as well as the 
power of police supervision, over those belonging to 
the army of occupation. Punishable acts against the 
army of occupation will be judged by its military 
tribunals, and also offenses against the orders of the 
occupation administration. Persons can only return 

153 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

to the occupied territories in proportion as the Ru- 
manian Government provides for their security and 
maintenance. The army of occupation's right to 
requisition is restricted to corn, peas, beans, fodder, 
wool, cattle, and meat from the products of 1918, 
and, further, to timber, oil, and oil products, always 
observing proper regard for an orderly plan of pro- 
curing these commodities, as well as satisfying the 
home needs of Rumania. 

From the ratification of the treaty onwards the 
army of occupation shall be maintained at the expense 
of Rumania. A separate agreement will be made with 
regard to the details of the transfer of the civil ad- 
ministration, as well as with regard to the withdrawal 
of the regulation of the occupation administration. 
Money spent by the Allied powers in the occupied ter- 
ritories on public works, including industrial under- 
takings, shall be made good on their transfer. Until 
the evacuation these undertakings shall remain under 
the military administration. 

CLAUSE VI 

Regulations Regarding Navigation on the Danube 

Article XXIV. Rumania shall conclude a new 
Danube navigation act with Germany, Austria-Hun- 
gary, Bulgaria, and Turkey, regulating the legal 

154» 



RUMANIA AND PEACE 

position on the Danube from the point where it be- 
comes navigable, with due regard for the prescrip- 
tions subsequently set forth under Sections A to D, 
and on conditions that the prescriptions under Sec- 
tion B shall apply equally for all parties to the 
Danube act. Negotiations regarding the new 
Danube navigation act shall begin at Munich as soon 
as possible after the ratification of the treaty. 

The sections follow : (A) Under the name Danube 
Mouth Commission the European Danube Commis- 
sion shall, under conditions subsequently set forth, be 
maintained as a permanent institution empowered 
with the privileges and obligations hitherto apper- 
taining to it for the river from Braila downwards, 
inclusive of this port. The conditions referred to 
provide among other things that the commission 
shall henceforth only comprise representatives of 
states situated on the Danube or the European coasts 
of the Black Sea. The commission's authority ex- 
tends from Braila downwards to the whole of the 
arms and mouth of the Danube and adjoining parts 
of the Black Sea. 

(B) Rumania guarantees to the ships of the 
other contracting parties free navigation on the Ru- 
manian Danube, including the harbors. Rumania 
shall levy no toll on ships or rafts of the contracting 

155 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

parties and their cargoes merely for the navigation 
of the river. Neither shall Rumania in the future 
levy on the river any tolls save those permitted by the 
new Danube Navigation Act, 



156 



CHAPTER X 

THE UNION OF BESSARABIA AND 
RUMANIA 

FROM Basle, Switzerland, come the fol- 
lowing notices of the telegrams ex- 
changed between Mr. Marghiloman, Prime 
Minister of Rumania, and Mr. C. C. Arion, 
minister of foreign affairs. Mr. Marghiloman 
telegraphed from Kisineu (a large city in Bes- 
sarabia) : 

After two days of deliberation the Diet of Bes- 
sarabia has voted solemnly the reunion of Bessarabia 
to Rumania on the ninth of April, 1918, at seven 
o'clock in the evening, by eighty-six voices against 
ten. I have taken cognizance of this vote, and in 
the name of the Rumanian people I have proclaimed 
the union in the midst of indescribable enthusiasm. 
At eight o'clock in the evening divine service took 

157 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 



place in the cathedral. Everybody rejoiced. I am 
happy. A. Marghiloman. 

Mr. Arion replied: 

Right has conquered. I congratulate you with 
all my heart for this brilliant success. The wounds 
of the country shall find some amelioration. 

The important act which ratifies this union con- 
fers new strength for Rumania, who has become 
greater. Long live Bessarabia ! Long live Ru- 
mania! C. C. Arion. 

It is incontestable that the union of Bes- 
sarabia with Rumania constitutes a claim to 

glory for the Govern- 
ment of Mr. Marghilo- 
man and at the same 
time a great consolation 
for Rumania. 

This province was a 
part of Rumania until 
1812, when Russia occupied it without any 
other claim than that of force; three parts of 
the population is Rumanian. After the fall of 

158 



AUSTRIA-, 




BESSARABIA AND RUMANIA 

the czarist regime, Bessarabia was proclaimed 
an independent republic under the name of The 
Republic of Moldavia. 

On the occasion of her union to Rumania the 
National Council of Bessarabia adopted a reso- 
lution which contains the conditions under 
which this union is made, and which commences 
with this declaration: 

The Moldavian people's republic, lying between the 
Pruth, the Dniester, the Danube, and the Black Sea, 
and the old Austrian frontiers, which more than a 
hundred years ago had been torn away from old Mol- 
davia, is now permanently uniting with the Rumanian 
fatherland on the basis of historical and national 
rights, as well as of the right of self-determination 
of peoples.^ 

iThe "New York Tribune." 



159 



CHAPTER XI 

THE CAUSES THAT DETERMINED 
PEACE 

TO enable the reader to understand the 
causes that determined the Rumanian 
Government, presided over by Mr. Marghilo- 
man, to conclude peace, we reproduce the ap- 
peal made by the Queen of Rumania to the 
American people, and published in July, 1917, 
in several newspapers of various cities in the 
United States: 

Death, in all its forms, has broken down my coun- 
try : the sword, flames, and invasion, famine and sick- 
ness. Lands have been taken away from us, hope has 
been destroyed, and cities and villages devastated. 
That which yet remains of our country is overrun by 
the terrible inpouring of those who saved themselves 
from the brutalities of the enemy. Our hospitals are 

160 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

overfilled, our food insufBcient. In vain do we strug- 
gle against the storm which already crushes us. 

But we have not yet lost courage. Step by step, 
we struggle for the blessed land of our native 
country ; no sacrifice is too hard, no suffering is too 
great. But the terrible want of food faces us. For 
a long time I have had good and faithful friends 
among the Americans; I feel, therefore, sure that 
they will help my people by sending me what I am 
unable to procure, — food, clothing, and medicinal 
supplies, — so that I may not remain powerless be- 
fore the tears of a nation in torment. 

Many words are useless. Rumania is desperate, 
grief-stricken. Must I insist more? I await help 
from the great and generous hearts of America. Do 
not leave my hands empty, when mothers and chil- 
dren, soldiers and wounded, call to me in their incred- 
ible misery! 

And again: 

QUEEN MARIE CABLES PRESSING NEEDS 
OF THE RUMANIANS 

Jassy, Rumania, July 26. 
(Delayed.) 
Having heard of the generous suggestion in the 
Chicago "Daily News" that an appeal be made on 

161 



U UM A X IA^ SACRIFICE 

nf HT iiDSTTliilt,, I viih t.: exrre?;? tr it f-'^^ to 



.-iaibes. 



5T of PletBigri^ 

Xew^" Juhr 27, 1917: 
: >5 ry jassy 



^^r :i -T ispfltcb fram lis C' 
- z^ - - : z ZZ-. Bssset D^|li^: 



ttere JsgT-T 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

help for the sick troops. The need is so dire that 
blessings will be lavished on the donors by the suf- 
ferers. 

I am not at libertT to quote the exact text, bat 
the Queen's letter, which is in her o-wn handwriting, 
corroborates the news from numerous source that 
the health situation in northern Rumania is extremely 
bad. An intelligent censorship will recognize the 
desirabilitT of obtaining wide publicity of this fact, 
as hushing it up would simply be dealing a cruel blow 
to our suffering Allies, depriving them of aid from 
abroad. 

I have recently found numerous letters in the Rus- 
sian press describing the health situation in Jassy 
as appalling — almost as bad as at Xish in the spring 
of 1915. Contagious disease is rampant, compelling 
the constant destruction of bedding and hospital gar- 
ments. 

Pending the call for bedding and garments for 
American troops in France, the urgent crisis at 
Jassy demands prompt and generous aid- If every 
American woman now making bandages and garments 
for the Red Cross would put aside one day's output 
next week for i)est-ridden Jassy, where Queen Marie 
herself is working from early in the morning till late 
at night as hard as any other hospital nurse, it would 
greatly improve the situation, save numerous lives, 

163 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

and earn the deep gratitude of the Queen and of 
the nation. 

Following these touching appeals, Chicago 
subscribed $35.00. In other cities the results 
were almost nil. The people of the United 
States — who have wealth, generosity, and 
nobility of heart, and who have given hundreds 
of millions of dollars to relieve the suffering 
of the French, Belgian, Serbian, and Monte- 
negrin population — have not, apparently, been 
able to appreciate the suffering of Rumania. 

We can only explain this by laying the 
blame on the former Rumanian Government, 
which did not place before the American pub- 
lic the Rumanian cause before and after her 
entrance into war. Official propaganda for 
Rumania has not reached the United States. 
Individuals, Rumanians, have tried to do some- 
thing in this direction; but their work, without 
the support of the Rumanian Government, 
could only obtain weak results. 

In New York, at 43 Cedar Street, a corn- 
ier 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

mittee was formed, the Rumanian Relief of 
America, under the patronage of Queen Marie 
of Rumania, and under the direction of two 
distinguished Americans, Mr. Breck Trow- 
bridge and Mr. T. Tileston Wells, our very- 
sympathetic Consul, aided by the delightful 
Mrs. McVickar and Madame Constantin 
Orghidan, as honorary secretaries. This com- 
mittee, during the month of April, 1917, re- 
ceived, up to now, some $10,000. 

We are profoundly grateful to all these 
charitable people for the interest they have 
shown in relieving the suffering of the Ruma- 
nian population. We also feel very grateful 
to the American Red Cross, which sent a com- 
mission to Jassy with doctors and medicinal 
supplies. 

The "Rumanian Review" of Chicago, in 
March, 1918, pubhshed an article by Mr. H. 
Gideon Wells, a professor at the University 
of Chicago. Mr. Wells was a member of the 
special mission, under the direction of Lieu- 

165 



ROLINIA'S SACRIFICE 

tenant- Colonel Henry W. Anderson, sent into 
Rumania by the Red Cross to relieve the suf- 
fering of the population. JVIr. Wells's article 
said, in part : 

One of the most striking impressions we all had 
on reaching Jassy was the sense of order and high- 
spirited endeaTor that prevailed in the provisional 
capital — an impression which, if anything, grew as 
we saw the rest of Moldavia. Everywhere there was 
good discipline, industry, and an evident spirit of 
zeal and loyal purpose that refused to yield to dis- 
aster or to submit to any invader, whether Hun, 
Slav, or epidemic and famine. After suffering un- 
expected and overwhelming military disaster, fol- 
lowed by one of the most serious epidemics of mod- 
ern times, augmented by famine, cold, and priva- 
tion of almost all the necessities of life, the Rumanian 
people were still unconquered. From the royal lead- 
ers to the peasants, all were working unceasingly 
and together for the salvation of their country, and 
for that alone. 

The spirit of unselfish devotion shown by all was 
most impressive. Everywhere there was a lack of 
everv material supply. There was sufficient of noth- 
ing, and of many needed materials there were none ; 
yet reorganization was going forward despite these 

166 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

handicaps. If there were no nails to be had, barracks 
were built without nails. If there was no wood, 
clay and mud were made to serve, and there seemed to 
be no difficulty that could not be overcome in some 
way. The ingenuity of the peasants in using the 
materials that came to their hands was everywhere 
manifested. . . . 

The surgical supplies were correspondingly 
meager, with barely enough dressings and ordinary 
supplies for the day's work, a dearth of rubber 
goods of aU kinds, a severe shortage of chemicals, 
and no reserves to meet serious emergencies or an 
unexpected rush of freshly wounded soldiers. Like- 
wise the food for the population was at a minimum 
— there was enough wheat to last only until January, 
enough corn until April, meat enough only to pro- 
vide a luxury to be enjo^^ed but once a week, and 
other food supplies only occasional and not to be 
relied upon. 

The people had such clothes as had survived since 
the beginning of the war, or had been brought or 
worn in fleeing from Wallachia ; for there had been 
practically no new supplies to be obtained in 
Moldavia or to bring from outside. Even in Sep- 
tember and October, the months of harvest and 
plenty, we found many of the refugees and the 
families evacuated from behind the line suffering 

167 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

severely from their privations. Diseases due to de- 
ficiencies in the diet, especially to deficiencies in qual- 
ity, were extremely prevalent among those unfor- 
tunate people. Pellagra, "war dropsy," and dysen- 
tery were especially abundant. 

The full supply in most places was known to be al- 
together inadequate for the coming winter, and there 
was no prospect of remedying this deficiency with 
warm clothing. Shoes were almost unobtainable, and 
even the army could not be supplied with proper 
footgear. And everywhere were scattered clouds of 
Russian soldiers, always hungry, always idle ex- 
cept in foraging, always a reminder to the Ruma- 
nians of their own unmerited misfortunes, but always 
an example of the results of disorder, disorganiza- 
tion, and lack of national unity. . . . 

We violate no confidence in saying that we found 
both the American Red Cross and the American 
Government willing and anxious to do all that they 
possibly can to help their sorely afflicted Ally — and 
the measure of what they do for Rumania will be de- 
termined by what the conditions in Russia permit, 
rather than by what America will try to do.^ The 
brave struggle Rumania has made to stand on her 
own feet since her disaster arouses the admiration 

1 Unfortunately, circumstances did not permit one to take 
other measures to aid Rumania. 

168 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

of all who know of it, and makes them zealous to help 
her because of her own zeal to help herself. 

H. Gideon Wells. 

Having read the appeal of the Queen and 
the recollections of Professor Wells, it is easy 
to understand that if in July, 1917, the popula- 
tion of Rumania was in want of hospital sup- 
plies and clothing, her situation must have been 
much worse in February, 1918, when peace 
parleys were commenced — especially as in the 
interval no amelioration had taken place. 
Surrounded entirely by enemies, without the 
possibility of any communication with the Al- 
lies, the population of Rumania was con- 
demned to die of hunger. 

The surplus of refugee population from the 
parts occupied by the enemy increased the 
number of those who themselves had neither 
food nor clothing nor the wherewithal to warm 
themselves. In the cities the population had 
become so dense that many families were forced 
to sleep in the streets, in garrets, in cellars, or in 

169 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the hallways of houses almost too overcrowded. 
Epidemics made nmnerous victims, and the 
want of food, medical supplies, and fuel in- 
creased this danger. In less than three months 
of the winter of 1916, 300,000 persons of those 
who inhabited cities perished; more than 150,- 
000 soldiers died of diseases; and many 
wounded, who fought to defend the honor of 
their country, became infected and died for 
the want of medical and surgical help. In the 
winter of 1917 and 1918 the losses were equally 
severe. 

In the villages the situation was even worse, 
if such a thing were possible. Famine had 
arrived there. Children perished. Mothers, 
made desperate by their inability to feed their 
starving children, were seen throwing them- 
selves into rivers or wells to put an end to their 
mental and physical torture. 

Add to all this pillage, murder, the violation 
of women by drunken Russian soldiers, to com- 
plete the chain of suffering which a people had 

170 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

been forced to undergo in this century of civil- 
ization. No other country has suffered so 
vitally as Rumania. No other country has 
seen her sons disappear in such great numbers 
and with such frightful rapidity as Rumania. 
And, at the same time, no other country has 
suffered to the degree that she has as a result of 
the indifference and even the criticism of 
former friends. 

King Ferdinand, at the opening of Parha- 
ment in Jassy, declared that the prolongation 
of the war had sapped Rumania's strength to 
the point of exhaustion and that a forced peace 
was necessary for her existence. 

To the telegram in which Prime Minister 
Marghiloman announced to the King that 
peace was concluded, the King replied: 

In taking cognizance of the treaty of peace at 
Bukharest, I thank you and the other Rumanian 
delegates for the difficult and devoted labor which 
you have accomplished for the defense of our rights 
in these grievous hours. 

171 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

As the King and as a Rumanian, I put all my hope 
in the future of my brave and valiant country and 
people, and I thank you for the assurance of con- 
fidence which you have in the prosperity and the 
strength of the country under my direction and 
that of the dynasty. 

It is plain that the causes that determined 
Rumania to conclude peace were famine and 
absolute helplessness. Without this peace the 
very existence of the country was at stake. 
Following are some of the newspaper com- 
ments on Rumania's action: 

Rumanian has just signed a peace of disaster. 
She could not hope for any other. Under the con- 
ditions where the treason of the Czarist Government, 
represented by the Emperor and Empress and Ras- 
putin, had led her, and also by the treason of the 
revolutionary Government represented by Lenine, 
Trotzky, and Krilenko, she had no other option than 
to submit to the will of her conquerors. ("L'Evene- 
ment," Paris, May 10, 1918. 

The German dagger at her throat, the Austro- 
Hungarian sword at her heart, Rumania has been 
forced to lay down her arms. She has done this 

112 




IS 



CAUSES THAT DETERMINED PEACE 

with so much dignity, so much nobihty, that her 
honneur sauf is resplendent in the somber disaster. 

She is the great victim of Russia; she has been 
played and betrayed by her. Thrust into Tran- 
sylvania, she has not been upheld in Dobrodgea, and 
when, having bound her wounds, she was about to 
take up again the struggle, she saw herself encircled 
by perils, the Germans in front, the Austro-Hun- 
garians behind, the Bolsheviki and the Russians who 
had become hostile. 

Isolated, abandoned, being able to accept no help 
from her Allies, poor Rumania was forced to lay 
down the broken pieces of her valiant sword at the 
feet of her conquerors. ("Le Petit Nicois," May, 
14, 1918.) 

The German-Rumanian treaty, signed under the 
pressure of necessities, is the greatest diplomatic 
absurdity of which Germany has been guilty. 
("New York Herald," Paris, May 14, 1918.) 

It is so grievous (this peace), because, on seeing 
this Rumania so abominably mutilated, dismembered, 
humiliated, one recalls the period, yet so near, when 
she threw into battle, resolute and confident, a mag- 
nificent army, which astonished the world by the 
prodigies that she was able to accomplish ag^nst 

17^ 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

an enemy ten times superior in numbers. . . . We 
had counted, alas, without the Russian treason. It 
was not a treason of a day, or of one man ; it was 
a slow and progressive defection of an entire coun- 
try, whose solemnly promised concourse was indis- 
pensable. 

Of all the crimes of which Bolshevism will bear the 
heavy responsibility in history, this one is, I believe, 
the most odious. It did not content itself, in fact, 
to refuse to Rumania the help that the Government 
of the Czar had engaged itself to send; it obliged 
her, by making a pact with the enemy, to lay down 
her arms while she had yet the means to defend her- 
self had she not been knifed in the back. ("Le 
Gaulois," Paris, May 10, 1918.) 



174 



PAR^T II 

*'War disorganizes, but it is in order to reorgan- 
ize." — Emerson. 



CHAPTER XII 
RUMANIA AFTER THE WAR 

THE Rumanian people, driven into an 
abyss by the want of forethought of her 
statesmen, have shown so much energy and 
resistance that, whatever may happen, Ru- 
mania will not perish. She will recover from 
her deep wounds — all the more so as the treaty 
of Bukharest represents every chance of being 
modified. 

Let us hope that, at the conclusion of a 
general peace, Europe and America, convinced 
that the application of the principle of na- 
tionalities is the sole basis for a durable peace, 
will decide that Rumania must be reconsti- 
tuted within her natural limits between the 
Tisza, the Danube, and the Dniester, in order 

177 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

to form in the southeast of Europe a kingdom 
of progress and of civihzation, causing thus 
to disappear forever the fatal troubles of peo- 
ple subjected by force, but free by their sen- 
timents of courage and dignity. 

We dream of a great Rumania, mistress of 
two slopes of the Carpathians, uniting together 
all her scattered sons to make them work in 
all directions of human activity with the cour- 
age and ardor of free men, laying thus the 
solid basis of prosperity and the influence of 
the real Humania as a sovereign State. 

But, in order that a country may have a free 
and progressive political life, it is necessary 
that it should have also a free economic life: 
because the political life is closely bound to 
the economic life. The great countries that 
are called to-day to set the new basis of life 
for humanity must aid Rumania to obtain her 
complete economic and political independence. 

Until to-day, only Germany has known Ru- 
mania and pursued a policy of ecpnomic pene- 

178 



RUMANIA AFTER THE WAR 

tration. She completely succeeded by making 
the economic life of Rumania dependent upon 
herself; and those who wished to give to Ru- 
mania, in this war, a political life separated 
from her economic life, by forcing her to give 
up her neutrality, have seen the country 
deprived of so many industrial, indispensable 
elements, because Germany, the sole supplier, 
had cut off the supply. The neglect of the 
statesmen to take account of this situation con- 
tributed very largely to the disaster of Ru- 
mania. 

Financiers, business men, manufacturers, 
and statesmen of other countries have not 
hitherto attempted to understand the wealth of 
Rumania — her petroleum, salt, lignite, forests, 
the waterfalls, the picturesque beauty of her 
mountains, the marvelous possibilities of agri- 
culture, and the vitality of her people. But 
in this war Rumania has drawn to herself the 
attention of the whole world because of her 
sacrifices and the bravery of her peasants. 

179 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Let us hope that henceforth she will be better 
known and better appreciated. 

American capitalists, so daring and so clear- 
sighted, will turn their energies toward Ru- 
mania; they will undertake to establish closer 
relations with this country. Business men will 
find important outlets for their merchandise; 
manufacturers will construct factories in Ru- 
mania; capitalists will found banking houses; 
a large field of activity will be opened. The 
Rumanian State must borrow to recover from 
her disaster, and this will be the first act in 
which this collaboration will manifest itself. 

Rumania is one of the chief sufferers in this 
war, because two-thirds her territory has been 
the theater of battles and was occupied by the 
enemy. The Rumanian troops, yielding 
ground step by step in their retreat, devastated 
everything in an effort to impede the advance 
of the enemy and to prevent the food supply 
from falling into the enemy's hands. And 
what little remained was destroyed by the in- 

180 



RUMANIA AFTER THE WAR 

vader. This must all be reconstructed — 
houses, roads, railways, bridges, factories, 
everything. 

In the parts not occupied the movement of 
the Rumanian army and the pillaging of the 
Russian army formed a real zone of operation. 
Here also all is to be rebuilt. 

Rumania hopes to be aided in the recon- 
struction of her country. But, let it be un- 
derstood, it is not only a question of rebuild- 
ing all that has been destroyed: Rumania will 
achieve a great development in her economic 
life. 

Owing to the lack of road-beds, the system 
of railways is approximately twenty- four hun- 
dred miles. In order to develop her forests, 
mines, and her quarries, Rumania's railways 
must be multiplied. For agi-icultural develop- 
ment it will be necessaiy to increase the amount 
of arable land by draining swampy grounds 
and the delta of the Danube. The waterways 
must be improved by dredging canals, etc. 

181 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

In the cities and villages, buildings must be 
put up; systems of lighting and of tramways 
must be organized. 

The petroleum industry should be greatly 
developed. We must not lose sight of the 
important part that petroleum has played in 
this war. The petroleum of Rumania has been 
especially valuable, owing to its quality and 
the geographical location of the country; be- 
sides, this industry is the sole source of energy 
necessary in order that Rumania might re- 
commence the activity of her shipping and her 
manufactures. Other indispensable industries 
of the country must be re-built and created. 
There can be no doubt that Rumania cannot 
reconstruct herself alone, Rumanian capital be- 
ing too small. 

In order that Rumania may recover from her 
disaster, and above all that she may be able 
to utilize her wealth, she will for a long time 
yet have need of foreign capital, which will 
bring great returns while rendering as well 

182 



RUMANIA AFTER THE WAR 

great service to Rumania; and, with time, the 
energies of the country will succeed in eman- 
cipating Rumania from foreign influence in 
her economic life, especially when this eco- 
nomic influence does not follow the political in- 
fluence, and all the more will the financial 
intervention of America be desirable for Ru- 
mania because the United States has no politi- 
cal interest to pursue in that country beyond 
proving that they intervene always for the 
defense of the hberty of people — especially the 
small ones as well on the political ground as 
upon the economic. 



183 



CHAPTER XIII 
RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

THE LIMITS — THE BOUNDARIES 

THE Kingdom of Rumania lies in the 
southeastern part of Europe, between 
the Carpathian Mountains on the north and 
west, the Danube on the south, and the Black 
Sea and the River Dniester on the east. 

To the north and the west is Austria-Hun- 
gary, separated by the Carpathians; on the 
south, Serbia and Bulgaria, separated by the 
Danube as far as the city of Turtukai, and 
thence to the Black Sea by a conventional line ; 
and on the northeast from Russia by the river 
Prutu. 

Although Rumania has a very ancient his- 
tory, she has remained undeveloped and has 

184* 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

taken little part in the life of Europe until 
within the last fifty years. The reason for 
this lack of development is the continual wars 
that she has had to wage against barbarian 
invasions and rapacious neighbors who wished 
to gain possession of her fertile lands. Ru- 
mania's past is filled with suffering, and even 
her existence is due wholly to the warlike char- 
acter of her people, who defended throughout 
the centuries her liberty, her language, and 
her religion with courage and sacrifices. 

THE ORIGIN 

In the southeastern part of Europe existed 
until the year 107 A. D. the Kingdom of Dacia. 
The Dacians were a warlike and courageous 
people, often making incursions even into the 
possessions of the Roman Empire itself, until 
the Roman Emperor Trajan declared war on 
them, conquered them, and took possession of 
their lands and made it a Roman province in 
the year 107. 

186 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Because of the density of population in the 
Roman Empire, many Roman colonists came 
to establish themselves in this new province, 
whose fertile fields, rich mountains, and pleas- 
ant climate promised them an easier and richer 
life. 

Out of this amalgamation of the inhabitants 
of ancient Dacia and the Roman colonists was 
formed the people known as Rumanians. 

The Roman province of Dacia lasted hardly 
more than two hundred years ; for, in the latter 
half of the third century, Germany made con- 
tinual attacks upon it. The Roman Emperor 
Aurelian, in the years 270 to 275 a. d., seeing 
that he could no longer defend this province, 
recalled his armies and his public functionaries, 
bringing them across the Danube into the mid- 
dle Moecia, leaving the province of Dacia to 
its fate. 

The Latin element in Dacia — ^that is to say, 
the colonists brought by Trajan — found them- 
selves left alone to resist the invasion of the 

186 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

Asiatic peoples who overflowed into Europe 
through Dacia, that being the shortest and easi- 
est route. The Dacians withdrew into the 
Carpathians, and strengthened themselves in 
natural fortresses in order to resist the enemy. 
After an invasion had subsided, they would 
descend from their mountains into the plains 
again. These many invasions lasted from the 
third to the fifteenth centuries. 

Towards the end of the thirteenth century 
the Roman-Dacian population — the Ruma- 
nians of to-day— grouped themselves into vari- 
ous small States. 

The chief of one of these little States, formed 
in the year 1320 the State of Wallachia; the 
chief of another State formed the State of 
Moldavia in 1360. 

WALLACHIA AND MOLDAVIA 

These two States, Wallachia and Moldavia, 
were governed by a prince elected by the peo- 
ple, and for many years they were obliged to 

187 



ROIAXIA^S SACRIFICE 

sustain great wars against their rapacious 
neighbors. The Turks, the Poles, the Rus- 
sians, and the Hungarians never ceased in their 
efforts to conquer Wallachia and Moldavia. 
But, through manv memorable battles, the Ru- 
manian princes succeeded in retaining their 
country. In 1600 the Prince of Wallachia, 
3Iihai the Brave, succeeded in uniting to his 
crown Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania. 
Unfortunately, the realization of this dream 
of the Rumanians was of short duration, for 
Prince ^lihai was killed by the Yalon Basta. 

These troublous times in Moldavia and Wal- 
lachia continued until the year 18o9, when 
these two httle States, realizing that united 
they could withstand more easily the attacks 
of their neighbors, constituted themselves into 
one single State, having one reigning prince. 

PETN'CE CTTZA 

On Februaiy 5, 1859, Colonel Cuza, elected, 
a few days earher. Prince of Moldavia, was 

188 



ROIAXIA OF YESTERDAY 

also elected Prince of Wallachia. Then was 
proclaimed the union of the two principahties 
under the name of Ritmaxia. 

Prince Cuza was the author of great re- 
forms, and he laid the foundation for a mod- 
em Rumania. He introduced new laws con- 
forming with the times, taking for a model 
the Xapoleonic code. He secularized the 
lands belonging to the Greek monasteries, and 
placed them in the hands of the State. He 
also aided in building up the army. He or- 
ganized schools, brought order into the ad- 
ministration and finances, and created personal 
and free peasant property, taking away from 
great landowners certain portions of their 
lands, paying for them at a fair valuation, and 
selling them to the peasants, who paid for 
them in annual instalments. 

Prince Cuza greatly loved the peasants, who 
never forgot their great protector; at the same 
time, he detested the noble class, the ambitious 
and intriguing Boiars. He openly manifested 

189 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

these sentiments. One day, meeting a peas- 
ant, he shook hands with him, saying: "Well, 
how are you?" "I am sad," responded the 
peasant, "because a BoTard has slapped my 
face." "Go and tell the Boiard that where he 
slapped you a prince has embraced you." And 
he kissed the peasant on the cheek. 

On February 24, 1866, a conspiracy in the 
palace put an end to the reign of Prince Cuza. 
He abdicated. Great patriot that he was, he 
made no objection to this move, seeking to 
avoid all difficulties for his country, and being 
partially convinced himself that a foreign-born 
prince might be of greater value. 

PRINCE CAROL 

On April 8, 1866, by popular vote, Carol 
de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was elected the 
reigning prince. 

His father, Charles Antoine, was the head 
of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, 
and related to the King of Prussia. On July 

l&O 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

30, 1866, Prince Carol took the oath to respect 
the Constitution of the country. In 1868 he 
married the Princess Elizabeth of Wied. 

From the start he tried to assure the Ru- 
manian nation a path of evolution that was 
active, wise, and well balanced, paying special 
attention to the organization of the army. Up 
to this time Rumania had been under the 
suzerainty of Turkey. In the fifteenth cen- 
tury, too weak to resist the attacks of their 
neighbors, Moldavia and Wallachia asked 
the protection of Turkey. The Rumanian 
princes considered this the only means of as- 
suring the autonomy of their country. The 
principalities kept their absolute liberty; they 
were merely obliged to pay a sum of money 
each year to the Turks. This policy continued 
after the union of the two principalities. 

THE WAR OF 1877-1878. 

In 1877 war between Russia and Turkey 
broke out. Russia sought to liberate Bulgaria 

191 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

from the Turkish domination, Bulgaria heing 
at that time a Turkish province. Russian arm- 
ies passed into Turkey (the Bulgaria of to- 
day) through Rumania. Great battles were 
fought, but finally the Russian Army was in 
grave danger, driven towards the Danube by 
a vigorous attack of Osman-Pasha, the Com- 
mander of the Turkish forces. Then the chief 
of the Russian Army, Grand Duke Nicholas, 
appealed to Prince Carol to intervene in order 
to prevent the Christians from being crushed by 
the Turks. 

On May 10, 1877, Rumania proclaimed her 
independence of Turkey, and on May 17, 1877, 
she entered the war on the side of Russia. 
Prince Carol, taking command of his army, 
crossed the Danube in order to pass into 
Turkey. The Rumanian Army met with great 
success at Nicopol, Rahova, Smardan, Gri- 
vitza, and Opanef ; and on November 28, 1877, 
the Turkish fortress Plevna, which was the 
center of their operation, fell. The Turks 




Sinaia. At this place the King has his summer residence 




p^ 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

were forced to capitulate before the Russo- 
Rumanian forces ; but the Turkish commander, 
Osman-Pasha, refused to surrender his sword 
to any other than Prince Carol as an homage 
of the bravery of the Rumanian Army. 

THE CONGRESS OF BERLIN 

In the month of July, 1878, the Congress 
of Berlin opened to regulate the peace be- 
tween Russia, Rumania, and Turkey. To the 
surprise of victorious Rumania, Russia de- 
manded that Rumania should be obliged to 
yield part of Bessarabia, which the Congress 
of Paris had returned to Rumania in 1856.^ 
None of the members of the Congress made any 
opposition to this injustice. Neither the treaty 
between Rumania and Russia — by which was 
guaranteed the integrity of the Rumanian ter- 
ritory — nor the services rendered by Rumania 
to Russia had the slightest effect, in spite of 
all the protestations of the Rumanians. In 

1 See page 2^50 entitled "Bessarabia." 

193 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

exchange Rumania obtained Dobrudja, a 
Turkish province situated between the Dan- 
ube and the Black Sea. 

The decision of the Congress made a pro- 
found impression on Rumania, and general 
indignation was manifested against the action 
of the Russians, especially as Bessarabia was 
Rumanian land inhabited by Rumanians and 
rich in agricultural productions, and Dobrud- 
ja ^ was a Turkish province sparsely peopled 

1 Dobrud j a has been known a long time. Nine centuries be- 
fore Christ the Greeks created commercial relations, specially 
at Tomi and Kallatis (Mangalia). Tomi derives its name from 
the King ^ctes, the king of Colchis, the father of the beautiful 
Medea. She, fleeing with her lover at sea and being pursued 
by her father, cut her little brother Absyrtus into pieces, 
and threw the body into the sea. The unhappy father, King 
of ^ctes, stopped on his way to pick up the pieces of his 
son's body and landed on the coast of the Black Sea to bury 
these pieces. This coast and the smaU village which was formed 
later on, received the name of Tomi, a name which is supposed 
to come from the Greek verb, re/iva} to cut. 

The Romans had in their possession Dobrudja, known then 
under the name of Scythian Minor. We find today many traces 
of this domination. There is found the famous monument Tro- 
paeum Trajani, the statue of Ovid, and the ruins of the Roman 
village Traianenses Tropacenas. They believe that the name 
of Dobrudja is derived from the Slavic name "Dobrice,". which 
means "stony region." 

Dobrudja is a large part of Rumania situated on the borders 

194) 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

by Turks and Tartars. It was rather a wild 
country, without cities, without communicating 
roads, without any cultivated lands. It pre- 
sented a single advantage — the sea.^ 

The decision of the Congress of Berlin in- 
fluenced the political orientation of Rumania; 

of the Black Sea and at the mouth of the Danube, an ancient 
Rumanian province under the rule of the rumanian Prince 
Mircea in the year 14.18. Later it became a Turkish Province, 

When the Congress of Berlin gave this province to the Ru- 
manians, it was in a lamentable state, as are all the Turkish 
provinces. The Rumanians made great efforts to develop it. 
The small and dirty cities became large and beautiful. Kus- 
tendje became a first-class port. Railroads traversed the prov- 
ince in all directions, and a bridge, which was a European 
work of art, stretched across the Danube, linking together 
Dobrudja and the mother country. Schools, roads, hospitals, 
and intelligent agricultural and mineral exploitations sprang 
up; a pipe-line connecting the oil wells of Rumania with the 
port of Kustendje was built; oil tanks, as well as depots of 
grain destined for export, have cost vast siuns to Rumania; so 
they transformed Dobrudja into a veritable garden. 

In 1913, on the occasion of the Treaty of Bukharest, a recti- 
fication of the frontier of Rumania and Bulgaria was admit- 
ted by giving to Rumania a small portion known by the name 
of the New Dobrudja. 

The population of Dobrudja was approximately three hundred 
and fifty thousand inhabitants, of which Rumanians in ancient 
Dobrudja represent seventy per cent. The rest is comprised 
of Turks, Bulgarians, Tartars, Germans, etc. In New Do- 
brudja the majority of the population consists of Bulgarians 
and Turks. 

iThe father of the one who was Prime Minister in 1916. 

195 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

she felt herself estranged forever from Rus- 
sia. The Prime Minister Bratiano all his 
life manifested a profound hatred toward Rus- 
sia, and directed all his policies toward Ber- 
lin. 

THE KINGDOM OF RUMANIA 

In 1881 the representatives of the nations 
proclaimed the Kingdom of Rumania, which 
was recognized by the foreign powers and, on 
the tenth of May, 1881, Prince Charles was 
crowned King of Rumania. This was a great 
fete-day for all Rumanians. Divine services 
were held throughout the country; thousands 
of peasants, arrayed in brilliant native cos- 
tumes, came to Bukharest; the capital pre- 
sented a fairy-like aspect, ornamented with 
flags and triumphal arches, festooned with 
chains of variegated-colored flowers, under 
which Prince Charles passed amidst an en- 
thusiastic crowd on his way to receive the royal 

196 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

crown, forged from the cannon taken as trophy 
from the enemy in the war of 1877. 

King Charles having no children, and the 
constitutional monarchy being hereditary, his 
nephew, Prince Ferdinand, son of his brother, 
was proclaimed hereditary prince of the throne. 

THE WAR OF 1912-1913 

When in the autumn of 1912 mobilization 
was commenced in the Balkans, they did not 
yet believe at Bukharest that war was to be 
declared. But events precipitated themselves, 
and on the eighth of October, 1912, Monte- 
negro declared war on Turkey, followed shortly 
by Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece. All these 
countries, wishing to deliver their own people 
from under the domination of the Turks and 
not being able to obtain willingly the ameliora- 
tion of their conditions, declared war on Turkey 
and, by a common action, the empire of the 
sultan, being at this moment so rotten that 

197 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

it could offer no resistance, the war was 
quickly ended by the reduction of the Otto- 
man Empire into a much smaller terri- 
tory. 

Shortly after the declaration of peace dis- 
putes arose among the former allies because 
Bulgaria wanted to take everything. She was 
unwilling to share the spoils of war with the 
others. On the twenty -ninth of June, 1913, 
the Bulgarians attacked Serbia, and a new war 
broke out, with Bulgaria on the one side and 
the Serbs, the Greeks, and the Montenegrins 
on the other. The prospect of the aggrandize- 
ment of Bulgaria at the expense of the other 
Balkan countries disturbed Rumania, in whose 
interest it was to have equilibrium maintained 
among all the countries in the Balkans. At 
the same time Europe felt anxious lest these 
internal conflicts in the Balkans might bring 
about general trouble. Under these condi- 
tions intervention by Rumania imposed itself. 
For a long time she had been telling the Bul- 

198 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

garians that she could not accept a Bulgarian 
hegemony founded upon the crushing of Serbia 
and Greece. A short time after the Bulgarian 
aggression, the Rumanian Army crossed the 
Danube and penetrated deeply into Bulgaria 
towards the capital with such rapidity that the 
Bulgarians had not even the time to recover 
from their surprise. 

THE PEACE OF BUKHAREST 

Bulgaria capitulated, and the plenipotentiar- 
ies of Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Rumania 
met at Bukharest in August, 1913, to conclude 
the peace. It was in the power of the allies 
to crush Bulgaria under the weight of their 
demand. Mr. Venizelos, Prime Minister of 
Greece, and Mr. Pachitch, Serbian prime min- 
ister, were in favor of this solution. The rep- 
resentatives of Rumania, through the voice of 
its great man, Titu Majorescu, prime min- 
ister, made everj^ effort to modify the preten- 
sions of the allies. Rumania wa^s not pursuing 

199 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

a policy of conquest. She had intervened with 
the assent of all Europe to bring about calm in 
the Balkans and maintain equilibrium. This, 
then, was her attitude throughout all the dis- 
cussions of peace. She demanded only a recti- 
fication of the frontier on the side of Bulgaria. 
Peace was concluded; they hoped that hence- 
forth calm might be assured for Europe, but 
one year afterwards, in August, 1914, the great 
European War broke out. 

THE WAB OF 1914 

King Charles, being a determined pacifist, 
was absolutely against a war between the pow- 
ers of Europe ; and before the great war broke 
out he was approached by the Austro-Hun- 
garian minister at Bukharest, Count Czernin, 
and sounded on the attitude of Rumania in 
case of a European war. The king told the 
Austrian minister at Bukharest that he could 
not count upon Rumania. On the eighteenth 
of July, 1914, the Austrian minister tele- 

aoo 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

graphed to the Government at Vienna : "The 
king tells me that, in case Russia should be 
against us, we could not, unfortunately, count 
upon any military support from Rumania." ^ 
In August, 1914, after the beginning of the 
great European War King Charles convoked 
immediately the crown council. 

The majority pronounced themselves for 
neutrality ; King Charles was convinced of the 
German military strength and of the weakness 
of the Russians, and he felt that it was in the 
true interest of Rumania to be on the side of 
Germany; nevertheless he bowed before the 
opinion of the majority of the council, that is to 
say, for neutrality. Had he truly wished Ru- 
mania to enter the war on the side of Germany, 
he had only to name as prime minister, Mr. 
Carp, former prime minister, who was a de- 
termined partizan of the entry of Rumania into 
war on the side of the Central powers, and 

iThe Austrian "Red Book," which appeared at Vienna in 
1916, according to Comnene, "Notes sur la guerre en Rou- 
mania," p. 155. 

^01 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

to grant him the dissolution of Parhament. 
If Mr. Carp could obtain the Parliamentary 
majority, the attitude of Rumania would have 
been drawn in this direction. But King 
Charles did not wish this; he preferred neu- 
trality. 

During the whole of his reign of forty-eight 
years he always maintained his dignity as man 
and as king. No one could ever boast of any 
friendship with the king. He was always the 
same towards everybody, amiable, deliberate, 
showing great tact and forethought. His fine 
qualities gave him great prestige at home and 
abroad. During his reign he received at 
Bukharest, at Sinaia, his summer residence, 
and at Kustendje, many brilliant guests and 
statesmen, among whom were the Emperor of 
Austria-Hungary, Francis Joseph, and the 
czars of Russia, Alexander II and Nicholas II. 
He died in October, 1914, leaving a will that 
profoundly impressed the country, because a 
great part of his fortune was bequeathed to 

202 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

charities and to institutions important to the 
country. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH 

Queen Elizabeth was a worthy companion 
to this great man. She was an accomphshed 
musician, and wrote under the name of "Car- 
men Sylva." She loved the people and in the 
war of 1877 and 1878 she consecrated herself 
to the care of the wounded and the relief of 
suffering. Her great regret was that she had 
no children, because she recognized that the 
role of the woman as a mother was the most 
delicate and the most noble. In March, 1890, 
having been urged to deliver a speech in the 
academy, she uttered these beautiful words : 

Woman must be silent in the Church! Not even 
to-day have I changed this opinion and I will always 
say that the activity of a woman should never de- 
part from the holy interior of the family. The path 
of the woman is nowhere more charming than at her 
fireside in the midst of her children. As for me, the 
great God has enlargedl- my fireside. Is not my dear 

203 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

country, with its dear children, a great and charm- 
ing fireside? If I have decided to speak it is be- 
cause here I am at home in the midst of my chil- 
dren. I have to read you a story ; a story about 
snakes and brave men and if, while speaking, I am not 
holding a distaff in my hand, I will nevertheless 
try to spin a long and thin thread from which the 
one who listens to me may be able to weave. 

According to these words we can appreciate 
the character and the soul of Queen Elizabeth. 
She worked constantly to encourage the domes- 
tic industry of the peasant woman. She often 
used to dress, specially when she was young, in 
the costume of the peasant. She died in Oc- 
tober, 1915. 

King Charles and Queen Elizabeth are both 
buried in the monastery Curtiu of Arjish, 
according to wishes that they had expressed. 
The Rumanian people profoundly regret the 
death of this great man and of his good and 
gentle queen, specially in these extremely try- 
ing moments through which Rumania has had 
to pass. 

^04< 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

KING FERDINAND 

King Ferdinand is the son of Leopold of 
Hohenzollem,' who is the eldest brother of 
King Charles. He it is "who reigns to-day- 
over Rumania and shares his eJfforts and his 
suffering with those of the soldiers who are 
fighting for national unity." ^ 

QUEEN MARIE 

King Ferdinand married the Duchess Marie, 
daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and 
Gotha. They have five children, the sixth hav- 
ing been killed during this war by a bomb 
thrown into Bukharest by an aeroplane of the 
enemy ; he was seven years of age. The queen, 
known for her beauty, her kindliness, and her 
energy, has devoted herself to the relief of the 
sufferings of her people during this terrible 
Calvary. 

1 N. Jorga, "Histoire des relations entre la France et la 
Roumanie," p. 245. 

205 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

THE LANGUAGE 

The Rumanian language forms part of a 
group of the Latin languages. It represents 
a mixture of Latin with Dacian, influenced 
somewhat by Slavic and Greek. Its base, how- 
ever, is Latin. It resembles greatly the Italian 
of to-day; at the same time it is also compara- 
ble with French and Spanish. The grammar 
is easy and the spelling, simple. The sound of 
the words is agreeable as they are rich in vowels 
with no special accent. 

The language is the same in the kingdom and 
in all the provinces inhabited by Rumanians 
and subjected to foreign domination. The 
dialects are not numerous and of very little 
importance. In other words, the Rumanians 
of Transylvania can be very well understood 
by those of the kingdom and of Bessarabia. 
Between the cultivated class and the people 
there exists a very slight difference in speech. 



206 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

THE RELIGION 

In Rumania the religion is orthodox. It is 
not obligatory. The basis of this religion is 
the New Testament written by the four apos- 
tles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The 
ceremonies are decided according to rules es- 
tablished by the twelve synods of Nicaea. The 
orthodox religion forms a part of the orthodox 
Greek Church, which separated from the 
Roman Catholic Church in 1054 a. d. Among 
the religions of the United States the Episcopal 
is very close to the orthodox in belief, ritual, 
and adornment of the church. The Rumanian 
Church is independent. It is under the direc- 
tion of a head called metropolite, resident at 
Bukharest. He is elected by a college com- 
posed of senators, deputies, and the members 
of the synod. 



20T 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

THE CLIMATE 

The climate of Rmiiania is Continental. 
The seasons are about like those of the eastern 
part of the United States. As a rule the sky- 
is blue and the months of the spring and of 
the autumn are very beautiful. The tempera- 
ture varies from ten degrees Fahrenheit below 
zero during the winter to one hundred above 
zero during the summer. 

In summer one can go to many attractive 
places in the foot-hills of the mountains, where 
the temperature is very agreeable. One can 
also make pleasant excursions into the Car- 
pathian JNIountains, and their picturesque beau- 
ties equal those of Switzerland and the Pyre- 
nees. 

THE CUSTOMS 

The customs of the Rumanian people are 
very important from an ethnological stand- 
point. In reality, these customs owe their 

208 




^ 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

origin to the old customs of Rome, and they 
are upheld not only in the Kingdom of Ru- 
mania, but among all the Rumanians who are 
found in the provinces subjected to Austria- 
Hungary, Russia, and even Macedonia. 

COLINDETZA 

On Christmas Eve the children of the people 
organize themselves into little groups in the 
cities, as vrell as in the villages, and go through 
the night from house to house, singing seasonal 
hymns. The people that they visit give these 
children fruits and a special kind of bread 
called Covrigi. 

SORCOVA 

During the early morning of the New Year 
groups of children run about through the 
streets carrying paper flowers called Sorcova, 
with which they strike the passers-by, wishing 
them a "Happy New Year." 

209 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 
PAPAEUDA 

After Easter the young gypsy girls cover 
their dresses with foliage and go in groups in 
the different courtyards of the houses, dancing 
and singing and invoking the god of rain. 
The people that they are visiting sprinkle a 
little water upon them and give them pennies. 

STEAUA 

Before Christmas groups of children carry 
into the streets a large, silver, illuminated star 
made of paper, in commemoration of the Star 
of Bethlehem. They sing in chorus and are 
called into the different houses and are given 
petite monnaie. 

VICLEIMUL 

During the carnival before and after Christ- 
mas the men of the people run through the 
streets during the evening, dressed in fantastic 
costumes representing Herod and the three 

210 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

Wise Men of the East. They are called into 
the different homes while singing in chorus and 
acting and relating the hirth of Christ. They, 
also, are given petite monnaie. 

OUAROSI 

On Easter Day in every family, from the 
king's down to that of the very poorest peas- 
ant, hard-boiled eggs colored red are served 
at the table. Each member of the family takes 
one of them and knocks it on the egg of the 
one standing next to him, at the same time 
wishing him a *'Happy Easter." 

It is customary for the king to knock his egg 
on the one held by the chief prelate of the 
Church. 

There exists among the people the belief 
that when Jesus Christ rose from the dead a 
Jewish woman was going to her house holding 
eggs in her apron; on her way she met a man 
who said to her, "The Christ is risen," and she 
replied, 

211 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

"Jesus Christ would rise from the dead, 
When these eggs would turn red," 

and at that moment she saw that the eggs were 
red. 

NATIONAL COSTUME 

The peasants still hold to one special cos- 
tume. The women, specially, dress very pret- 
tily. They weave their own linen of extremely 
fine texture and on it they embroider flowers in 
color and in gold. With this material they 
make their dress, embroidering a waist and 
skirt with bands at the bottom of the skirt. 
Over this they wear a shorter skirt of heavier 
material, and this they also embroider. The 
national costume is worn only in the villages 
and by the peasants. In the cities they wear 
the European dress, French styles predominat- 
ing in the drawing-rooms of the Rumanian 
cities. The late Queen Elizabeth (Carmen 
Sylva) and also the present Queen Marie have 
given a great impetus to the industry of home 

21S 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

weaving among the peasants. The beautiful 
blouses worked by the Rumanian peasants have 
been greatly admired by the women of Lon- 
don, Paris, and Berlin. The two queens took 
great pleasure in dressing from time to time in 
the costume of the peasant in order to develop 
this taste among the society women. 

The shepherds of Rumania and of Tran- 
sylvania wear a caciula (woolen cap) and 
zeghea (cloak) exactty like those worn by the 
Dacians and the Romans of old Dacia. On a 
stone column erected in Rome by the Emperor 
Trajan one can see sculptured the shepherds 
of Dacia in costumes identical with those worn 
by the shepherds to-day. 

THE AREA 

Rumania has an area of 53,489 square miles 
or a surface approximately the size of the State 
of Illinois. The elevations vary greatly, from 
peaks over 8000 feet in the Carpathian Moun- 
tains to low foot-hills, which finally lose them- 

213 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

selves in the plains below. Numerous small 
rivers traverse the country and empty into the 
Black Sea and the Danube River, both of which 
are included in the boundary of the country. 

POPULATION 

The population in Rumania was a little more 
than doubled during the period of years be- 
tween 1860 and 1914, the latter date being 
that of the latest official census. In 1860 the 
inhabitants numbered 3,717,541 and in 1914 
these figures had increased to 7,508,009. Of 
this number more than six million persons are 
in the rural communities, the remaining one 
and one-half millions residing in the seventy 
cities and small towns of the country. 

AGRICULTURE 

Agriculture is the principal occupation of 
the country, and the land is specially adapted 
for this purpose. It has been conceded that 
the most productive land in the world is to 

214 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

be found in Rumania, southern Hungary, and 
southern Russia. The soil is black and rich, 
mixed with clay and very deep. On account 
of the compactness of the soil, due to the pres- 
ence of the clay, it has been plowed very deeply. 
The Rumanian peasant is an excellent 
farmer and, although still partial to his old- 
time plow and oxen, he makes use of many 
modern agricultural machines, specially reap- 
ers and binders. A majority of these ma- 
chines are of American make. After the war 
there will undoubtedly be a very great demand 
for American-made machinery of all kinds, 
specially of auto-tractor plows. 

CULTIVATED ACREAGE 

Previous to the war, Rumania held the dis- 
tinction of ranking third among European 
countries in the export of cereals. In 1911 
there were 15,000,000 acres under cultivation 
in that country, and they yielded a harvest of 
$269,000,000. 

215 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The majority of cereals exported went 
to Belgium, Holland, France, and Italy. 
Huge granaries were constructed at Brai'la and 
Kustendje to store these grains for export. 

WHEAT 

Wheat is one of the most important of the 
crops. In the year 1912 there were approxi- 
mately 5,000,000 acres planted in wheat, pro- 
ducing an average of from 14 to 16 bushels per 
acre. 

CORN 

Equally important is the annual maize crop, 
which yielded in the same year an average of 
17.25 bushels per acre from a cultivated area 
of little more than 5,000,000 acres. 

BARLEY 

Barley is next in the list of staples, with a 
cultivated acreage in 1912 of 1,234,715 acres, 
netting a total of 20,636,387 bushels. 

216 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

OATS 

The oats crop for the same year amounted 
to 20,182,832 bushels from a total of 943,008 
acres cultivated. 

RYE 

Rye is cultivated to a considerable extent 
for breweries and for export, the acreage tilled 
being about 400,000 acres and j^elding an- 
nually in the neighborhood of 11 bushels per 
acre. 

OTHER CROPS 

Numerous other crops are produced in 
smaller amounts, among them being buck- 
wheat, millet, flax, peas, hemp, potatoes, len- 
tils, sugar-beets, cabbages, onions, etc. 

VINEYARDS 

The vineyards occupy an area of 241,419 
acres and produce annually an average of 
22,000,000 gallons of wine, valued at $9,000,- 
000. 

aiT 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

FRUITS 

Other fruits are also extensively cultivated, 
specially prunes, apples, pears, cherries, 
peaches, and English walnuts. Fully 50,000,- 
000 trees bearing these fruits are to be found, 
in addition to which are smaller fruits of vari- 
ous kinds and delicious flavors. 

FORESTS 

Rumania possesses 7,000,000 acres of large 
and very old forests, 3,000,000 of which be- 
long to the Government and the remainder to 
private persons. The trees include oak, beach, 
pine, fir, larch, elm, maple, willow, walnut. 
Excellent timber for construction work is ex- 
ported in large quantities into various parts 
of Western Europe, as are also resinous woods 
and those suitable for furniture. 

DOMESTIC ANIMALS 

Before the war Rumania possessed an ade- 
quate supply of domestic animals for all pur- 

^18 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

poses. In 1916 there were in the country 
nearly 2,000,000 horses, 8,000,000 sheep, 2,000- 
000 pigs, 4,000,000 cows and bulls, besides 
goats, donkeys, poultry, and other small ani- 
mals. On account of difficulties of customs, 
the export of meat was not highly developed 
in the past. 

FISH 

Rumania abounds in beautiful lakes, which 
are plentifully supplied with many varieties of 
fish, and the exporting of fish is one of the im- 
portant industries of the country. Specially 
is the fresh caviar of Rumania greatly appre- 
ciated in Europe. 

COMMERCE 

There were in Rumania before the war ap- 
proximately 120,000 business firms, of which 
79,000 were Rumanian, 25,000 Jewish, and 
16,000 of other nationalities. Chambers of 
commerce were organized in 1886 in eleven of 
the larger cities of the country. 

219 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

EXPORTS 

The exports of Rumania are composed spe- 
cially of cereals and their products. In 1913 
Rumania exported to a total value of 670,- 
705,335 lei. 

The cereals mount up to a value of 448,412,- 
269 leij among which wheat represents a value 
of 208,152,226 lei and maize 115,764,527 lei. 

To the export of wheat we must add flour, 
which in 1913 represented the value of 34,044,- 
115 lei. Then follow oats, barley, rye, and 
millet. 

The countries that import the most cereals 
from Rumania are: 

Belgium 1,074,335 tona 

Austria 616,020 

Italy 341,136 

Holland 217,170 

France 162,055 

England 148,895 

Germany 128,020 



220 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

To the exports we must add vegetables, flow- 
ers, grains, trees, wood, animals used for food, 
live stock, skins, wool, fruit, etc. 

Petroleum comes next to cereals as export 
merchandise, but we must also note that the 
money that is derived from the sale of the 
cereals reverts to the Rumanian producers. 
On the other hand, the money derived from the 
sale of petroleum goes entirely to foreign- 
owned companies. 

Recently the production of petroleum has 
greatly increased. In 1913 the export of re- 
fined petroleum amounted to 428,098 tona. 

Benzin 241,726 tona 

Mineral oils ^ 7,732 " 

Paraffine 664 " 

By-products 377,688 " 

Refined petroleum is exported to England, 
Italy, Egypt, and Germany. Benzin is ex- 
ported specially to France and Germany. 



221 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 
IMPORTS 

Rumania imported in 1913 merchandise to 
the value of 590,012,640 lei ($1,026,109). 
Germany leads in the importation into Ru- 
mania, followed by Austria-Hungary; the 
other countries are far behind. Rumania im- 
ports from Germany metals, manufactured 
metals, and other mineral products to the value 
of 89,643,608 lei. 

Machinery 35,215,635 lei 

Woolens, bristles, and man- 
ufactured goods of this 

class 14,056,180 « 

Explosives 18,217,168 " 

Vehicles 14,341,489 " 

Skins and manufactured 

articles from skins 10,489,392 " 

Silk and silk goods 4,626,589 " 

We will not enumerate all the other articles 
in which Germany occupies the second rank. 
As a total, in 1913 Germany imported mer- 

222 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

chandise into Rumania to the value of 237,- 
819,146 lei. 

After Germany came Austria, which im- 
ported merchandise to the total of 138,192,076 
lei in 1913; but she holds her own with diffi- 
culty in the Rumanian market on account of 
the German competition. She sends specially 
raw celluloid, white celluloid, mineral waters, 
horseshoe nails, oak lumber, carbonic acid, tar- 
taric acid, agricultural implements, linen, 
glassware, dyes, woolen goods, shoes, porce- 
lains, and tanned skins. 

Fine materials are imported into Rumania 
by Germany amounting to forty-six per cent., 
Austria twenty-six per cent., England seven- 
teen per cent., France and Italy nine per cent. 

The necessary equipment of armament for 
the army is bought in very small part from 
Austria, France, and Italy, as the greatest part 
comes from Germany. 

With France the commercial relations are 
223 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

very slight. In 1913 she sold to Rumania to 
the amount of 34,135,788 lei, according to the 
Rumanian statistics, and to the amount of 16,- 
200,000 according to French statistics, and she 
bought from Rumania to the amount of about 
50,000,000 lei. 

With the United States the following com- 
mercial relations existed: 

The trade relations between the United States and 
Rumania, while small, have, according to statistics, 
extended over a period of more than forty years. 
The following table represents the Imports and ex- 
ports of the two countries during the years 1909-' 
1916. 

Year Import Export 

1900 $ 41,562 $101,042 

1901 26,560 000,000 



1902 


128,879 


289 


1903 


214,215 


6,554 


1904 


234,078 


5,592 


1905 


902,506 


8,224 


1906 


617,608 


4,026 


1907 


685,231 


6,545 


1908 


447,759 
224 


11,135 




m 



< 




'a 

S 
a 
U 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

Year Import Export 

1909 647,045 9,340 

1910 470,364 36,181 

1911 964,398 273,597 

1912 906,819 91,773 

1913 £,417,591 348,481 

1914 2,306,377 489,620 

1915 391,001 97,881 

1916 112,437 20,079 

These figures represent merely the direct trade be- 
tween the United States and Rumania, but, in addi- 
tion, a large amount of American goods were bought 
each year in other countries, specially in Germany, 
by the Rumanian merchants. 

The imports from the United States consisted 
mostly of agricultural machines and implements, also 
metals, leather, and leather goods, cotton-seed oil 
etc., while the exports into the United States were 
copper ore, petroleum, walnut lumber, furs, fish, 
cheese, beans, grass seed, tobacco, toys, laces, etc. 

The development of trade relations between the 
United States and Rumania has been slow, on ac- 
count of the lack of Rumanian diplomatic and com- 
mercial representation in the United States, the 
insufficient advertising of the United States in Ru- 
mania, the lack of direct shipping facilities between 

225 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

the two countries, and the difficulty of language and 
of banking. The small amount of trade already ex- 
isting was due to private initiative without official 
interference, and this is a proof that many Ameri- 
can goods are highly prized in Rumania and a better 
market might be secured if the work were better or- 
ganized.^ 

TARIFF 

To protect and to encourage her own manu- 
factures, Rumania in 1906 adopted a protect- 
ive tariff, maintaining at the same time special 
protective commercial arrangements with 
England, France, Italy, Belgium, and Hol- 
land. 

SHIPPING 

Rumania's shipping effectives consist of 
nearly 800 merchant vessels of different sizes, 
and an average of 9,000,000 tons of domestic 
and foreign vessels enter and clear from Ru- 
manian ports annually. 

1 Dr. D. I. Andrenescu, "Rumanian Review," of Chicago, 
February 7, 1918. 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

CUSTOMS 

The three customs houses of Rumania are 
located at Bukharest, Braila, and Galatz. 
Merchandise passing through these three cus- 
toms houses annually amounts to nearly 94,000 
tons. 

SALT 

There are several large salt deposits in Ru- 
mania. The principal ones are located at 
Ocnele-man, Targu-Ocna, Slanik and Dof- 
tana. The annual output of salt is estimated 
to be 125,000,000 tons. Considerable amounts 
of salt are exported yearly. 

INDUSTRIES 

Industry is yet very young in Rumania. It 
hardly commenced in 1886 when under the 
protection of an autonomous tariff a law wasf 
passed on the 21st of April, 1887, for the en- 
couragement of national industry. Among 
these industries we must count in the very first 

227 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

rank, with the exception of petroleum, the flour 
industry, of which is exported to the value of 
34,044,155 lei, and the manufacture of woolen 
goods, the product of thirteen factories. 

After these above-mentioned industries 
comes the manufacture of linen goods, sugar, 
wood, paper, metals, vegetable oils, soap, sul- 
phuric acid, glasswares, dyes, cement, the can- 
ning of fruits and vegetables, meats, etc. 

Here we have given a very slight resume of 
our principal industries. The total produc- 
tion represents a value of 550,000,000 lei. It 
supplies specially the interior necessities of the 
country. We must take into account that in 
almost all of these industries foreign capital, 
particularly German capital, takes a large 
share. Naturally a great part of the benefits 
derived from these capitals reverts to Germany. 
The following is a list of the distribution of 
capital according to nationalitj'-. 

German 160,000,000 lei 

Holland 60,000,000 *' 

2^8 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

French 45,000,000 « 

English 115,000,000 « 

Itahan 10,000,000 « 

Belgian 10,000,000 " 

Austria-Hungarian 6,000,000 " 

American 25,000,000 " 

Rumanian 25,000,000 « 

PETROLEUM 

Rumania possesses very rich petroleum 
wells. These are only partly exploited, and 
their quality is extraordinary. When the 
wells have been driven tremendous eruptions 
have taken place, throwing up the petroleum 
to a great height. Some of these wells have 
produced such a quality and quantity of petro- 
leum that they have been worth five to six 
millions of dollars. 

Much foreign capital has come into Rumania 
to extract the petroleum, to refine it in numer- 
ous distilleries that have been built near the 
petroleum centers. Afterward it is sold either 
for interior consumption or for exportation. 

229 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The annual production of peiroleum is about 
2,000,000 metric tons or 14,380,000 barrels. 
In 1911 there were manufactured from 1,243,- 
570 tons of raw petroleum (or 8,941,268 
barrels) : 1,386,267 barrels of benzine, 2,630,- 
763 barrels of kerosene, 201,320 barrels of 
mineral oil, etc. In the same year were ex- 
ported 1,653,700 barrels of petroleum valued 
at $1,364,285; also 2,286,420 barrels of re- 
fined petroleum valued at nearly $2,000,000 
and 891,560 barrels of benzine valued at 
$3,000,000. 

INSTRUCTION AND THE CHAEACTER OF 
THE PEOPLE 

In Rumania there are three grades of in- 
struction: first, primary schools, where all the 
children from seven to fourteen years are 
obliged to follow the courses for four years; 
second, intermediate schools, for those who 
have the means; this course is eight years in 
the college ; third, professional or advanced col- 

230 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

lege work for which we have two universities, 
one at Bukharest, with five faculties, and the 
other at Jassy, with four. Besides these there 
are special schools for engineering, military- 
training, fine arts, music, agriculture, industry, 
and other branches of education. 

The Rumanian peasant has been described 
by all foreigners visiting Rumania as possess- 
ing a lively intelligence, subtleness of mind, 
great courage, and a lively imagination. Pop- 
ular poetry, the folk-lore, and the stories are 
full of wit and charm. Sentiments like love, 
sacrifice, courage, abnegation, altruism, pre- 
dominate everywhere among the works of these 
people. 

They are always happy to receive in their 
homes a traveler, whether he be Rumanian or 
foreign, who asks for shelter, and to share with 
him the modest repast, exceedingly happy to 
have been able to do a good deed, but never 
thinking of asking or of receiving money for 
such hospitality as they may be able to give. 

231 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT 

Rumania is a constitutional monarchy, 
hereditary, having the rank of a kingdom. 
The rules that govern the country are deter- 
mined by a constitution. The Law of Laws, 
voted and put into effect in 1866, is modeled 
on the Belgian Constitution. 

The principal point of the constitution is in- 
dividual liberty ; the liberty of thought, speech 
in public meetings, and of the press is guaran- 
teed. 

All distinctions of classes have been abol- 
ished; all citizens are equal before the law and 
have the same right and the same obliga- 
tion. No one since 1866 has the right to bear 
any title of nobility, such as prince, count, 
baron, etc. This right is reserved wholly to 
the members of the royal family. Property, 
domicile, and letters are inviolable. Military 
service is obligatory, and primary instruction 
both compulsory and free. 

232 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

The sovereignty of the state is represented 
by three bodies, which control each other 
and counter-balance then- influence: the leg- 
islative power, the judiciary, and the execu- 
tive. 

The legislative power, that is to say, the one 
that makes the laws, belongs to the king and 
to the people. The people elect their repre- 
sentative deputies and senators, who discuss 
and make the laws, but these laws must also be 
approved by the king. 

The judiciary power administers the laws. 
For small lawsuits there are the Circuit 
Judges, who travel from village to village, to 
attend to small lawsuits. For the more im- 
portant cases amounting to more than 3000 lei, 
in each department there are courts composed 
of three judges, the attorney, and the examin- 
ing magistrate. 

Against the decision of the court the case 
can be carried to a court of appeals, of which 
there are five. There is also the supreme 

233 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

court, which has general control over all the 
courts of appeal. 

The judges are elected by the king after be- 
ing recommended by the minister of justice, 
and they must be graduates of the law college. 
For crime the jury system of twelve citizens is 
used. 

The executive power belongs to the king, 
who, in turn, is controlled by rules fixed by the 
constitution. All administrative functionaries 
hold their office by the will of the king. He is 
also the chief of the army. His person is 
inviolable. He is never responsible for his 
acts; the only one responsible is the minister 
who signs the acts, which have no value with- 
out his signature. 

The king is aided by a prime minister and 
by nine other ministers. They form the gov- 
ernment, which is indicated to the king by the 
majority of the Parliament. The govern- 
ment has all the responsibilities in the conduct 
of the state, because it has also all the rights, 

234 



RUMANIA OF YESTERDAY 

having the power even to refuse to sign an act 
demanded by the king. 

To facihtate the administration of the coun- 
try, it is divided into thirty-three departments. 
At the head of each department there is a pre- 
fect named by the king to represent the Gov- 
ernment. 

THE ARMY 

In time of peace there are 150,000 men in 
the Rumanian Army, 3500 officers, 15,000 
horses, and 500 cannons. In time of war 400,- 
000 to 450,000 men can be mobihzed. By in- 
creasing the age limit to 46 years from 700,- 
000 to 800,000 fighting men can be obtained. 

There are three mihtary school for officers, 
the war college, etc. The military education 
of a soldier and of an officer is complete and 
very strict. 

THE CITIES 

The capital of Rumania is Bukharest, which 
has half a million inhabitants. It is a dainty 

235 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

city, with pretty houses, generally from one to 
two stories high. Very nearly every house has 
a flower garden in front, and in the rear fruit- 
trees are grown. The public buildings are 
large and beautiful. Life is gay and elegant, 
and the Parisian style and taste reigns every- 
where. 

In Bukharest there is a university, special 
schools, libraries, etc. It is the principal in- 
dustrial center of the country, as well as the 
most important commercial center. 

Next comes Jassy, the former capital of 
Moldavia; Krajova, the center of agriculture 
and commerce; Braila, a port on the Danube; 
Galatz, the most important commercial cen- 
ter; Ployeschi, an important industrial center, 
with factories and petroleum distilleries; 
Kustendje, the only port on the Black Sea in 
deep water. 



236 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE RUMANIAN PROVINCES 
UNDER FOREIGN DOMI- 
NATION 

T is to the interest of the reader to know 
the Rumanian regions under foreign dom- 
ination, in order to understand better the mo- 
tive that determined Rumania to enter the war. 

The Rumanians form a compact mass on 
the territory between the river Tiza in Hun- 
gary to the north of the country of the 
Maramoureche ; to the south to the Danube, 
continuing to the east by Moldavia, Bukowina, 
and Bessarabia as far as the Dniester, that is 
to say, including Banat, Bukowina, and 
Bessarabia. 

237 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

TRANSYLVANIA 

One of the Rumania states, situated between 
the Carpathians and Tiza, is the former Duchy 
of Transylvania. No one, not even the Hun- 
garians, contests the fact that Transylvania 
is a part of ancient Dacia occupied by Roman 
colonists in A. i>. 107. But the Hungarian 
historians, in order to justify their claims over 
Transylvania, have raised a question : they pre- 
tend that when in a. d. 270 Emperor Aurelian 
abandoned this province he withdrew all the 
Roman and Dacian population living there — 
all the Roman colonists established in those 
regions for more than one hundred and fifty 
years and the autochthon population, and 
transported them into middle Mcecia on the 
other side of the Danube; in consequence, so 
they say, in the eleventh century, when the 
Hungarians came there, they found a coun- 
try completely vacated, and the Rumanians 
came there after them. These arguments, sus- 

238 



UNDER FOREIGN DOMINATION 

tained by Rossler, A. De Bertha, and others, 
were contested by both Hungarian and Ger- 
man historians. The orders of the Emperor 
Aurehan could not be obeyed except by the 
army, the functionaries, and the rich class; it 
is not possible to believe that the whole of the 
population left the land to which it belonged. 
This phenomenon was even put into evidence 
in our day, when the means of transportation 
are very much easier. When the Germans 
penetrated into Belgium, France, Serbia, and 
Rumania, the rich class and those in authority 
could save themselves, but the great portion 
of the people were obliged to remain at home. 
The colonists could not find there any better 
conditions, being just as much exposed to bar- 
barian invasions, and the Carpathians offered 
them a fairly good protection in their own 
country. 

The Hungarian historian Keza says that at 
the time of the Hungarian invasion these coun- 
tries were inhabited by a Rumanian popula- 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

tion made up of shepherds and older colonists. 

The anonymous chronicler of the Hunga- 
rian king Bela explains that when the Hunga- 
rians came into Transylvania they found the 
principality of Gelu, which was purely Ruma- 
nian, and that they had to struggle with the 
Rumanian Dukes of Transylvania. 

In 1910 the minister of commerce of Buda- 
pest published a book entitled "Hungary," in 
which it is also explained that the Roman colon- 
ists who were established there and who ac- 
quired *'by the sweat of their brow" lands, 
vineyards, houses, could not have abandoned 
with their families all that they possessed in 
order to "search for a new country." It is 
perfectly clear that Transylvania, a country 
purely Rumanian, has been invaded by the 
Hungarians. 

After the battle of Mohacs (1526) Transyl- 
vania succeeded in becoming independent, and 
in the year 1599 the principalities of Wal- 
lachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania were re- 

240 



^!B*^SS£SS^5a3S"* 




.^^' 




< 



I. . a^!4*£. yii"-^- .*l:i:'^ 



UNDER FOREIGN DO:^^NATION 

united under the rule of the Wallachian Prince 
Mihai the Brave. This great Rumanian event 
lasted but a short time, because the prince was 
assassinated by the Austrian Basta. 

Transylvania continued to keep her inde- 
pendence, but, being attacked sometimes by the 
Turks, sometimes by the Hungarians and by 
the Poles, she was obliged to form an alliance 
with the House of Hapsburg, the reigning 
House of Austria. In 1691 the relations be- 
tween Transylvania and the House of Aus- 
tria were settled in the Diploma of Leopold I. 
This treaty formed the fundamental pact of 
Transylvania until 1867 and established the 
autonomy of Transylvania. All the emperors 
who succeeded Leopold I respected this treaty. 
The Emperor Francis Joseph even recognized 
this State by a document dated June 15, 1863. 

In 1866, Austria, defeated at Sadowa, was 
obiged to become reconciled to the Hungarians. 
In exchange for this reconciliation they de- 
manded that Austria cede Transylvania to 

241 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

them. The emperor, forgetting the incon- 
testable rights of the Rumanians to Transyl- 
vania, to autonomy, forgetting that he did not 
have the right to cede a country which did not 
belong to him, accepted the proposition of the 
Hungarians, and signed the treaty of 1867, 
which put an end to the autonomy of Transyl- 
vania. By this act Transylvania, annexed to 
Hungary, lost all her rights, and the Hun- 
garians, pretending to be the masters, pro- 
posed to transform the Rumanians into Hun- 
garians. 

THE PERSECUTION OF THE RUMANIANS 

In order that the Hungarians might carry 
out their program, they sought through force 
to make the Rumanians forget their national- 
ity, language, and religion. 

The Hungarians began their persecution by 
forbidding the teaching of the Rumanian lan- 
guage in the schools, and when the Rumanians 
created by their own means thirty-five thou- 

242 



UNDER FOREIGN DOMINATION 

sand elementary schools in which they also 
taught Hungarian, the Government, on differ- 
ent pretexts, closed these schools. The Ru- 
manians were even obhged, under various 
penalties, to send their children from the age 
of three years to special schools where only the 
Hungarian language was taught. 

When a Rumanian wished to occupy a pub- 
lic office, — ^which happened very rarely, — ^he 
was obhged to speak perfect Hungarian and 
even to change his name from a Rumanian to a 
Hungarian one, and he was immediately dis- 
charged if he was caught speaking his own 
language. 

The hberty of the press and of pubhc meet- 
ings was entirely restricted. If a Rumanian 
newspaper man or an orator had the audacity 
to write or speak, even in a most guarded man- 
ner, demanding the equality of rights for the 
Rumanians, he was at once arrested and cited 
before a Hungarian court on the accusation 
of having made an attempt against the secur- 

243 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

ity of the state. Without exception, he was 
condemned to prison for from one to five 
years. 

Despite the electoral law, the Rumanians 
had the right to vote, but, the vote being verbal, 
the Hungarian authorities terrorized the voters 
in order to assure the success of the Hungarian 
candidate. Under this system the Rumanian 
population, which represented a quota of four 
million inhabitants, could send to the Parlia- 
ment at Budapest but one or two representa- 
tives. The elections took the form of a veri- 
table civil war in which on the one side stood 
the unarmed Rumanian voter and on the other 
side the Hungarian policeman armed to the 
teeth, and not hesitating to kill the Rumanian 
voter for the slightest cause. 

The hatred of the Hungarians for the Ru- 
manians was always kept alive by the authori- 
ties and by the press. In order to better edify 
the reader, I will reproduce a few examples of 
the manner in which the Hungarians edited 

S44i 



UNDER FOREIGN DOMINATION 

their papers against the Tlumanians, and also 
give the opinions of several foreign persons 
of note who were impartial. 

The Hungarian newspaper "Koloswar," of 
August 3, 1891, wrote: "Brutal force alone 
can make an impression on this boorish mass, 
the Rumanians. We must gain the authority 
of power to impose it upon Rumania herself." 

The Hungarian newspaper "Szatmar," of 
the twenty-eighth of February, 1891, wrote: 
"This wild beast, the Rumanian, cruel and sav- 
age, is athirst for the blood of the Magyar. 
We will sweep thee out of the country, a peo- 
ple ungrateful and perfidious. If our lan- 
guage does not please you, get out of here. 
Go to the devil, for many trees in our forest 
and a crowd of crows await your bodies." 

The Hungarian newspaper "Elenzek," num- 
ber 146, 1887, published with satisfaction the 
following correspondence of Caransebes: 
"The 23rd of June all along the streets of 
Orsova passed at a gallop a carriage in which 

245 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

were seated two policemen. Behind this car- 
riage was tied a Rumanian peasant; he had 
been forced to run behind the carriage for three 
miles and, being unable to longer stand on his 
legs, had fallen and was being dragged in that 
condition." 

Georges Clemenceau, the present Prime 
Minister of France, with a thorough knowl- 
edge of the different nationalities of Hungary, 
after having written the history of the Ruma- 
nian claims, which he found to be absolutely 
legitimate, protested with vigor against "this 
sovereignty force erected on the principle of 
public rights in Transylvania by the Hun- 
garians." 

Madame Juliette Adam wrote in the 
"Nouvelle Revue" of May 15, 1894, the follow- 
ing words : "One knows what is taking place 
in spite of the promises of emancipation by 
Kossuth, in spite even of those of Deak, for the 
small Slavic nationalities of the Kingdom of 
St.-Etienne. For more than forty years it 

S46 



UNDER FOREIGN DOMINATION 

has been the same for Transylvania, whom the 
followers of the Germanophile Tizsa insist 
upon Magyarizing; but the Rumanians of 
Transylvania and of Banat have the intangible 
spirit of the race and they propose to remain 
Latin. The laws of exception which regulate 
Transylvania are a continual threat of trouble. 
Four million Rumanians live under the regime 
of the good will of a government which has 
exceptional favors only for those of the Ger- 
man race." 

Mr. Flourens, a former minister of France, 
wrote in 1894 the following words: "The 
claims of the Rumanians, co-existing in equal 
number if not superior to the Hungarians, on 
the soil of Transylvania, are all the more just 
and more moderate, and because of this one 
is astonished, on reading them, that, at the 
end of the nineteenth century a European peo- 
ple should be so reduced as to be obliged to 
claim the exercise of rights as essential and 
incontestable." ("Voix Latines," p. 109.) 

24n 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

A well-known Englishman, H. W. Seton- 
Watson, who writes under the nom-de-plume 
of Scotus Viator, published in 1908, "The 
Political Persecution in Hungary," which con- 
tains a real speech for the crown against the 
"barbarous conduct" of the Hungarians, who 
by their acts against nationalities "have lost 
their rights to the title of civilized people." 

Mr. Henry Wickham Steed writes in his 
book, "The Hapsburg Monarchy," on page 
66 and page 429 the following: 

Francis Joseph, at the risk of alienating as im- 
portant a race as the Rumanians in Transylvania, 
tolerated the tactics of Tisza and of the Hungarian 
Prime Minister who followed him to Magyarize the 
Rumanians ; and he showed himself indifferent to the 
use of corruption and of pressure as a means of 
government. 

Here, as in the question of the Slavs of the South, 
the short-sighted Chauvinism of the Hungarians must 
again be blamed. While attempting vainly to 
Magyarize a prolific race, well gifted and in no way 
inferior to themselves even from an intellectual point 

248 



44 



!lillil!l!IIIII!i{inie^7?ti^iMiiii!iiiiiiiiii{ii|iii!|iiiiiiii|i{!iiiiiJ!,iL 

j^,G A |l_ I 'C ? A V ■ : ' ' „ iesie- ■«'- POLITICAL and ETHNOLOGICAL MAP 

OF 

R U M A N I A 

AND THE REGIONS 
INHABITED BY 
THE RUMANIANS. 




UNDER FOREIGN DOMINATION 

of view, although long persecuted, the Magyars 

In their "Histoire Generale" Mr. Lavisse 
and Mr. Rambaud branded this policy "of de- 
clared Magyarization," and were indignant at 
the measures applied in Transylvania "with a 
rigor and with unusual meannesses." (Vol- 
ume 12, p. 170.) 

BANAT 

Banat consist of three counties, Krasso, 
Temes, and Torontal. In this part the popu- 
lation, in the greater majority, is Rumanian 
and Serbian, and their existence is as bad as 
in Transylvania. 

BUKOWINA 

Bukowina formed a part of Moldavia until 
the year 1775, when it was occupied militarily 
by the Austrians, with the excuse that it was 
necessary from a strategic point of view. 
Turkey, upon whom the Moldavians called, 

249 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

not only approved the occupation, but killed 
the Moldavian Prince Gr. Ghika, who pro- 
tested. 

The ancient documents of these days show 
that Kaunitz, the minister of Maria Theresa, 
the Empress of Austria, had given to the grand 
vizier of Turkey 10,000 florins to assure the 
moral cooperation of the Turks. 

In Bukowina are found many old Rumanian 
monuments. There is found Suceavea, the 
former capital of Moldavia; there also is found 
the monastery of Putna where is situated the 
tomb of the Moldavian Prince Stefan the 
Great. 

BESSARABIA 

Bessarabia formed a part of Moldavia un- 
til the year 1812, when it was occupied by the 
Russians through the Peace of Bukharest. 
The Russians fought the Turks, and the lat- 
ter gave Bessarabia to Russia, although the 
province did not belong to them. 

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251 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

By the treaty of Paris in 1856, following the 
Crimean War, they forced the Russians to 
return to Moldavia three departments of the 
southwestern part of Bessarabia; but by the 
Congress of Berlin of 1878 the Russians took 
these three departments back again. 

Bessarabia has a population of about 3,000,- 
000 persons, of which three fourths are Ruma- 
nians. It is situated between the rivers 
Pruth, Dniester, Danube, and the Black Sea. 
The soil is fertile and rich. The population 
retains its Rumanian language, although the 
Russians attempted to make them forget both 
language and their origin. 

MACEDONIA 

In Macedonia there are six hundred thou- 
sand Rumanians, who guard their language, 
religion, customs, and love for their mother 
country in spite of the persecution of the 
Turks and the Bulgarians. 



CHAPTER XV 

DIFFERENT ESTIMATES OF 
THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

THE history of Rumania proves to us that 
the Rumanians who have been called to 
fight against barbarians or against too rapa- 
cious neighbors have always shown themselves 
to be true warriors. All French-Belgian- 
German military critics recognized, specially 
in the Russo-Turco-Rumanian war of 1877- 
1878, when for the first time Rumania drew 
the attention of the whole world, that the Ru- 
manian Army is an armj^ of the first order, 
made up of excellent soldiers and distinguished 
officers. 

In 1913 the same critics praised highly the 
same army, which penetrated Bulgaria as far 
as Sophia, in order to stop the troubles of the 

253 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

BalkanSj so swiftly and skilfully that the Bul- 
garians were paralyzed and obliged to accept 
the Peace of Bukharest. 

In 1916 the Rumanian troops advanced into 
Transylvania under good conditions and later, 
being pushed by the greater forces of the 
enemy and threatened by the invasions of the 
Germano-Turco-Bulgarian armies at the 
south, withdrew, but yielding ground only step 
by step, in perfect order and with sanguinary 
battles. This year of retreat was witnessed by 
the French Vice- Admiral Fournier, who was 
at this period in Rumania. He wrote in the 
Paris newspapers: 

In my automobile trips on the roads of Rumania, 
covered with marching troops in perfect order, I 
met only magnificent soldiers admirably equipped, in 
excellent form, singing, and in perfect good humor; 
their discipline is perfect. At the canteens, where 
thousands of men fill their cups with hot tea poured 
from large copper caldrons used for this purpose, 
one hears no loud voices ; everywhere there reigns an 
impressive silence.^ 

1 "Courrier des Etats Unis," February 6, 1917. 
254. 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

This truth, attested by a competent observer, 
explains itself not only by the warlike tem- 
perament of the Rumanian soldier, but also by 
the fact that during more than forty years 
King Charles was occupied with the organiza- 
tion of the army, introducing a regime very like 
that of Germany; and if the democratic spirit 
of Rumania was not willing to allow these mili- 
tary institutions to become an instniment of 
domination and tyranny, it is none the less true 
that in accord with public liberties it formed 
the basis of her national force. 

The greater number of the officers came from 
either special French, Belgian, Grcrman, or 
Italian schools, or from the mihtary and Spe- 
cial War School of Bukharest, which King 
Charles had modeled on the French and Ger- 
man professional schools. 

The Rumanian soldier is not only very cour- 
ageous and vigorous in the attack, but he is 
sober, resisting fatigues and the inclemencies 
of the weather. He is able to march for whole 

255 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

days and nights in rain or under the sun, with- 
out a murmur, content with very little to eat, 
and always ready to rush to the attack with 
spirit and enthusiasm. 

Queen Marie, in an interview with a rep- 
resentative of the Associated Press, said: 

^'Heroism is one of the greatest qualities of 
my soldiers. Their contempt for suffering has 
never been surpassed. They endure the most 
horrible wounds with perfect equanimity. 
Pain does not terrorize the brave men of Ru- / 
mania; they bear it with the same courage with 
which they struggle for their native land." 

Nowhere else have strangers been better able 
to appreciate the valor of the Rumanian Army 
than in the great battles fought on the line of 
Sereth. All those who have had the oppor- 
tunity to view closety this army have felt high 
admiration for its endurance and its bravery. 
Tokens of appreciation reach the army from all 
sides. We reproduce the telegram published 
in "The London Times" of September 20, 

256 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

1917, in connection with the declaration made 
by one of the representatives of the Russian 
democracy on this subject. 

Mr. Jablanofsky, high commissioner of the pro- 
visional Government of the southwest front, has just 
returned after passing several days at Odessa where 
he had been called to regulate several questions on 
the subject of revictualizing. Being questioned on 
the events happening at the Rumanian front, the 
high commissioner declared that Crimea and Odessa 
owed not having fallen under the power of the Ger- 
mans entirely to the valor and the tenacity of the 
Rumanian armies, who sacrificed themselves with 
heroic grandeur to the common cause. 

"History," continued Mr. Jablanofsky, "will place 
on the same footing with the immortal conquerors 
of the Marne and of Verdun the Rumanian peasant 
soldiers who fought one against five under the crush- 
ing blows of huge bombs without one hour of rest, 
in order to save from invasion that which yet re- 
mains free of the territory of our Rumanian Ally." 

"The London Times," relating the defense 
of the sector of Marasesti, gives these details 
of the admirable resistance of the Rumanian 
soldiers : 

257 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

The defense of the sector of the Marasesti to the 
north of Focsani is the most glorious feat of arms 
of the Rumanian Array, which resisted forces far 
superior in number and possessing an element of sur- 
prise. The principal objective of the Germans was 
to reach the bridge of Cosmesti and to cross the line 
of Sereth without difficulty, which would place the 
whole of Moldavia in the power of the Germans. 
Mackensen chose the eighth of August to attack, on 
which date the Russians were relieved by the Ruma- 
nians. One Rumanian division resisted for three 
days the violent attacks of three German divisions, 
which attempted to cross the bridge at any cost. 
The twelfth of August the enemy, realizing the use- 
lessness of its efforts, attacked more to the west. 
The losses of the enemy were enormous ; the 12th 
Bavarian Division was almost annihilated; there re- 
mained but 2000 men. The losses of the Rumanians 
were equally heavy. 

The following days the enemy attacked on the 
whole front of the Marasesti with twelve divisions, 
the Rumanian forces, very much inferior in num- 
ber. That attempt also failed. The fourteenth of 
August the enemy, after ejecting strong asphyxiat- 
ing gases, returned to the assault. The Rumanians, 
despite their heavy losses, resisted heroically. The 

258 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

French Captain Verneuille was killed in the midst 
of the fight. After the battle the 84th Prussian 
Division, decimated, was obliged to retire. 

The last attempt of the Germans was on the nine- 
teenth of August; two German divisions and one 
Austrian attacked the Rumanians on the northeast 
of Panchiu. The Rumanians, in the presence of the 
king and of Prince Charles, struggled with a brav- 
ery beyond all commendation. The enemy reached 
the Rumanian wire entanglements. A counter at- 
tack of the last Rumanian reserves threw them back 
in disorder; the Germans threw down their guns 
and surrendered, and six hundred Austro-Gerraan 
prisoners filed out in parade before the king. 

This German check was the most serious that the 
enemy had to undergo on the Oriental front. 

Mr. Dechanel, president of the Frencli 
Chamber, in a speech made before the French 
Parhament on the occasion of the reception of 
the Rumanian mission, said : 

"The Kumanian army, thrown into full com- 
bat, without the promised help of the Rus- 
sians, resists for many months the Germano- 

g59 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

Austro-Bulgaro-Turkish armies with bravery 
and heroic tenacity, relieving thus the other 
fronts." ^ 

The French General La Croix writes in his 
book, "Effort de la Kumanie," p. 20: 

She [the Rumanian Army] held out for a long 
time alone by her own means, against more numer- 
ous and better armed adversaries ; she astonishes them 
by the vigor and duration of her resistance and she 
shows herself worthy of her past and of her noble 
traditions of chivalric bravery.^ 

Mr. Lacour Gayet, member of the Institute, 
has outlined in the "Journal" of March 9, 
1917, a stirring picture of the valor of the Ru- 
manians : 

Since the twenty-seventh of August, 1916, the 
Rumanian Army has sustained ten months of heroic 
struggle. She had an army of 450,000 fighting men, 
excellent soldiers, incomparable with bayonet, very 
enduring, rude peasants, virtually all of them. They 
had to defend a front of 1350 kilometers, which 

1 According to "Roumanie" Paris, September 8, 1917. 

2 Comnene op. cit., p. 183. 

260 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

was threatened in every part except on the side of 
the Russian frontier. Do we know what a front 
of 1350 kilometers means? It is the length of the 
Western front of Russia; but there the Russians 
have a milhon and a half fighting men. Our Anglo- 
French front, from the North Sea to the Vosges, 
measures only 100 kilometers, and on this stretch 
of ground, relatively small, how many times 450,000 

men have we? 

This Rumanian Army, too feeble for so extensive 
a front, has done marvelous deeds. During nearly 
four months, without being reinforced, she held 
against at least triple forces well-fed all the time 
and with a formidable material of heavy artillery at 
their disposal. She yielded ground only by dis- 
puting it step by step; she forced the enemy to buy 
it with the most cruel losses.^ 

Mr. Stanley Wascheburn, who has witnessed 
the struggle of the Riimanians, cannot say 
enough in praise of the Kumanian Army. In 
*'The London Times" of November 7, 1916, 
among other things he extols the virtues of 
the Rumanian Army, its soldiers, their endur- 
ance, and what he calls "their obstinacy m 

iComnene, op. cit., p. 181. 

261 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

resistance and their superb morale even in the 
most tragic hour." ^ 

General von Falkenhayn, interviewed in 
Berlin on the twenty-eighth of November, 
1916, declared to the correspondent of the 
Associated Press of New York, "The desper- 
ate bravery of which the Rumanians have 
given proof in their constantly repeated as- 
saults is recognized by all the German 
troops." ^ 

The German Commander Franz Karl End- 
ers of the German Army has just published a 
book, "La Guerre Contre la Kumanie." This 
pamphlet is a most precious document for the 
Rumanians. It is a testimony from an enemy, 
which bears witness that the Rumanian Ai'my 
has struggled everywhere with courage and 
impetuosity and that she has been the cause 
of enormous losses to Germans. The German 
author writes: 



1 Comnene, op. cit., p. 181. 

2 Comnene, op. cit., p. 187. 



262 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

The Rumanians are holding fast; thej; have re- 
sisted step by step the German drive. Their armies 
have fought with bravery, but the conduct of their 
operations has been forced to yield before ours and 
before our plans. ... As to the taking of Bukliar- 
est, it could not have been avoided unless the Ru- 
manians had had double forces. However, there 
were painful hours for the brave German troops, 
and it is only after furious attacks that we have 
been able to conquer on the Argesh. ... As for us, 
the German Army will keep of the Rumanian War a 
recollection of fighting filled with difficulties, but 
in which she was able to show her power ; a recollec- 
tion of fights without precedent which have cost us 
many hard sacrifices.^ 

Major Tokinoly, military attache of Japan 
to the G. Q. G. of the Rumanian Army, made 
to the Rumanian press of Jassy the following 
declarations : 

The whole of Japan follows with emotion and 
sympathy the superhuman efforts of Rumania. We 
know your sufferings. 

Accustomed to love those who are small and glori- 
ous, accustomed to hate with all passion the odious 

i"La Roumanie," Paris, January 24, 1918. 

S63 



RUMANIA'S SACRIFICE 

tyranny against which you have risen with bravery, 
can there yet be any question in what manner we 
see you giving new birth to your native land ? 

All of the Nippon press speaks with merited praise 
of the heroism of the Rumanian Army. 

Our newspapers do not hesitate to show your 
marvelous qualities. They deplore the distance and 
the impossibility of giving you all our help. 

The nomination of a representative of Rumania at 
Tokio shows clearly enough the reciprocal intention 
of solid friendly relations. 

We will be happy to form close relations with a 
brave people, industrious and honest, like the Ruma- 
nian people, and it would be only to tell you banali- 
ties to assure you that all our solicitude is yours.^ 

Then Franco-English-Italian press, the 
Austrian and German press, as well as the 
press of the neutrals, have recognized without 
reserve that the Rumanian soldier is a brave 
man who has attracted the attention of all the 
military critics, of all political men, in fact, 
of the whole world. Military critics have de- 
clared that the bravery of the soldiers cannot 

i"La Roumanie," Jan. 17, 1918. 

264 



THE RUMANIAN ARMY 

be better appreciated than in a stiTiggle with 
the bayonet, and it is just with the bayonet that 
the Rumanian soldier has distinguished him- 
self. He fought as in the ages when "the 
human material" had the upper hand in bat- 
tles ; in a war where the upper hand belongs to 
the machines of war, and is fatal to him and 
to his heroic enthusiasm, he replied from the 
trenches with asphyxiating gases, with enor- 
mous bombs, and the great cannons. Never- 
theless, the Rumanian soldier was able to resist 
and to inflict great losses upon the enemy. 



THE END 



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